misconception
Americannoun
-
misconceptions
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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-
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
World Without Fish
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
"A common misconception is jellyfish go after people but contact with a jellyfish is actually merely incidental and humans are not on their menu," Bunney said.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
One common misconception is that left-footed players are naturally less reliable from the penalty spot.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
From 2000 through 2014, the misconception continued to spread through media organizations across North America.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026
A common misconception about American slavery is that most enslaved African-Americans lived on large plantations where contact with slaveholders was limited.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Gradually the sufferer grows thoroughly disoriented and subject to increasingly dangerous hallucinations—including the decidedly cruel misconception that he is not freezing but burning up.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
Inside the beverage industry, Infante says one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding the explosion of nonalcoholic drinks is that they’re replacing alcohol altogether.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
Our misconceptions and stereotypes about men and women at work shape our reality—and could reshape it, if only we would accept the hard facts and work to change them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
"I had all these misconceptions about what autism was," she says.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Some early misconceptions are still reflected in the exhibits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026
When you’re in it and you’re mixed up with feelings, assumptions, influences, and misconceptions, things seem completely impossible to change.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
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.
