misconception
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of misconception
First recorded in 1655–65; mis- 1 + conception
Explanation
A misconception is a conclusion that's wrong because it's based on faulty thinking or facts that are wrong. Your accusation about your brother's role in that unfortunate event at your party may be based on a misconception. First appearing in the 1660s, the noun misconception comes from the prefix mis-, meaning "bad, wrong," and the word conception, meaning "act of conceiving." A misconception usually results from incorrect thinking or a flawed understanding. Because they don't know the facts, many people have a misconception about how diseases such as AIDS are transmitted. It's a common misconception that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, when, in fact, he didn't.
Vocabulary lists containing misconception
Power Prefix: mis-
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Eats, Shoots & Leaves
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World Without Fish
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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.
But it rests on the misconception that institutional investors are driving up home prices.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
“There is a misconception on how much progress quantum computing has been made on breaking modern encryption methods,” analysts wrote.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
There is a popular misconception that no one beats the market.
From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026
The question stems from a common misconception, based on drivers such as Max Verstappen and their specific tastes in an F1 car, in combination with their supernatural ability.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
Another widespread misconception is that numbers depersonalize or somehow diminish individuality.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
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.
