- present participle of misunderstand.
misunderstanding
Americannoun
-
misunderstandings
plural
-
failure to understand correctly; mistake as to meaning or intent.
- Synonyms:
- misconception, error, misapprehension
-
a disagreement or quarrel.
- Synonyms:
- dissension, difficulty, difference, discord
- Antonyms:
- concord
noun
-
a failure to understand properly
-
a disagreement
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of misunderstanding
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; mis- 1 + understanding
Explanation
A misunderstanding is what happens when you don't comprehend something correctly. It's also another name for a disagreement, like the misunderstanding you and your sister had about whose turn it was to do the dishes. The result of not clearly understanding someone or something is a misunderstanding. A misunderstanding between teammates can lead to dropped passes and lost points, and a misunderstanding of the pool rules can get you benched for doing a cannonball in the shallow end. You can also call a minor argument a misunderstanding.
Vocabulary lists containing misunderstanding
myPerspectives 8.3
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Words with 15 or More Letters, List 1
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Part 1 Vocabulary (Unit 1)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Her lawyer called it a misunderstanding as she pleaded not guilty to the charges.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
According to the researchers, the controversy sparked by the findings reported last November was caused by a misunderstanding in the analysis rather than evidence that scientists' basic picture of the universe had suddenly broken down.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026
MarketWatch: What is happening with the Federal Reserve that investors may be misunderstanding?
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
Or did Walker turn a misunderstanding at the gate into a viral story?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
With that help, the chaos that had brought him to this cage would be reined in and the misunderstanding manifested here would be mitigated.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
Yet despite your best efforts, you will inevitably encounter misunderstandings, confusion and frustration.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Yang: The misunderstandings are about people’s tones, and not necessarily about the things that people are pointing toward.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
But there are insights about his perception of—and plans for—America to be gained from examining those misunderstandings.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
However, in October Aliyev said that "past misunderstandings between the two countries" had been resolved after he met Macron in Copenhagen, AFP reports.
From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026
I needed to think about what I’d say next, carefully lining up my words like rows of even masonry, so that there could be no misunderstandings.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
