misinformation

[ mis-in-fer-mey-shuhn ]

noun

1. false information that is spread, regardless of whether there is intent to mislead:

   In the chaotic hours after the earthquake, a lot of misinformation was reported in the news.

Word History and Origins

Origin of misinformation¹

First recorded in 1580–90; mis- ¹( def ) + information ( def )

Example Sentences

TikTok and YouTube allow users to make money from their posts or to share sponsored content too, but have rules which allow them to de-monetise or suspend profiles that post misinformation.

From BBC

In our age of misinformation, disinformation and artificial intelligence, the artist’s frank exposure of what’s operating behind the curtain is tonic.

From Los Angeles Times

Critics have also accused Kennedy of spreading misinformation regarding the safety of the measles vaccine in Samoa.

From Los Angeles Times

On Thursday, after the outpouring of rage against health insurers sparked by Thompson’s killing, Anthem reversed course, blaming “significant widespread misinformation” about its proposed policy for the about-face.

From Los Angeles Times

The company said it consulted with third parties to debunk health misinformation.

From BBC

Related Words

• falsity
• misreport
• misstatement

Misinformation Vs. Disinformation

What's the difference between misinformation and disinformation?

Misinformation refers to false information, regardless of whether or not it’s intended to mislead or deceive people. Disinformation, in contrast, 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.

Disinformation is especially used in the context of large-scale deception, such as a disinformation campaign by a government that targets the population of another country. Misinformation can be spread with the intent to trick people or just because someone incorrectly thinks it’s true.

This distinction can also be seen in the difference between their verb forms, misinform and disinform. To misinform someone is to provide them with wrong information, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it was intentional. Disinform, which is much less commonly used, means to intentionally provide or spread false information.

One way to remember the difference between misinformation and disinformation is to remember that misinformation can be a mistake, while disinformation is not just false but dishonest.

Here’s an example of misinformation and disinformation used correctly in a sentence.

Example: The intelligence report concluded that the rumors spread prior to the election were not simply the result of misinformation but rather of coordinated disinformation by a foreign power.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between misinformation and disinformation.

Quiz yourself on misinformation vs. disinformation!

Should misinformation or disinformation be used in the following sentence?

The government spread _____ about the location of their army in hopes of tricking the enemy.