misinform
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Usage
What's the difference between misinform and disinform? To misinform someone is to provide them with false information, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is being done intentionally. Disinform, which is much less commonly used, means to intentionally provide or spread false information with the intent to mislead or deceive. This distinction can also be seen in the difference between their verb forms, misinformation and disinformation. Misinformation refers to false information, regardless of whether or not it’s intended to mislead or deceive people. In contrast, disinformation refers to false information that’s spread with the specific intent of misleading or deceiving people. Due to their similarity, the terms are sometimes used in overlapping ways. All disinformation is misinformation, but not all misinformation is disinformation. Disinformation is the more specific of the two because it always implies that the false information is being provided or spread on purpose. Disinform and disinformation are especially used in the context of large-scale deception, such as a disinformation campaign by a government that targets the population of another country. On the other hand, a person can intentionally misinform someone, but they could also misinform someone by telling them false information that they believe to be true. The adjective misinformed can be used to describe people who have been the recipient of misinformation. One way to remember the difference between misinform and disinform is to remember that to misinform can be a mistake, while to disinform is always dishonest. Here’s an example of misinform and disinform used correctly in a sentence. Example: The intelligence report concluded that the rumors spread prior to the election were not simply the result of a few random people misinforming others, but rather of a coordinated campaign by a foreign power to disinform the electorate. Want to learn more? Read the breakdown of the difference between misinformation and disinformation.
Other Word Forms
- misinformant noun
- misinformation noun
- misinformative adjective
- misinformer noun
Etymology
Origin of misinform
First recorded in 1350–1400, misinform is from the Middle English word misenfourmen. See mis- 1, inform 1
Explanation
When you misinform someone, you give them the wrong information. If you misinform your friend about what homework is due tomorrow, he may do the wrong math problems. It's possible to misinform people on purpose (deliberately giving them false information), or accidentally. To inform someone is to provide them with information — to educate or advise them about something. Inform comes from a Latin root, informare, "train or instruct," and literally "shape or form." Adding the "wrong" or "not" prefix mis- gives you misinform, "to instruct in the wrong way."
Vocabulary lists containing misinform
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.
“Bad actors are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort vulnerable family members, imitate celebrities, and misinform voters,” the agency’s chairwoman, Jessica Rosenworcel, said in a news release.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 8, 2024
It said that “nobody is allowed to terrorize and misinform the public” on public health issues.
From Washington Times • Dec. 6, 2023
“It loses credibility, but it doesn’t misinform voters. The problem is that today it’s always being presented as an absolute truth.”
From New York Times • Oct. 24, 2022
KLM says it's committed to communicating "transparently and honestly" about the company's approach to sustainability, and that it would not be in its interest "to misinform customers".
From BBC • Jul. 6, 2022
Third, Rapid Dominance seeks to achieve total */control of the environment/* from complete "signature management" of both our and the adversary's information and intelligence to more discrete means to deceive, disguise, and misinform.
From Shock and Awe — Achieving Rapid Dominance by Wade, James P.
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.
