misinformation

American  

[mis-in-fer-mey-shuhn] / ˌmɪs ɪn fərˈmeɪ ʃən /

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.

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Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of misinformation

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

Example Sentences

While not immune to misinformation and scams, LinkedIn lured people leaving X and Facebook as content moderation and fact-checking there declined.

From The Wall Street Journal

The issue isn’t clear-cut cases of misinformation or harmful subject matter going unflagged in the absence of content moderation.

From Salon

But the simplest fixes are often the best, says Matthew Facciani, a researcher at the Georgetown-Lancet Commission on Faith, Trust and Health at Georgetown University who studies misinformation and media literacy.

From The Wall Street Journal

Wilson alleges in his lawsuit that Georgia dragged its feet in putting his name in the portal and spread misinformation to other schools about him and his contractual obligations.

From Los Angeles Times

The misinformation on some community college websites is a clerical problem that campuses have been asked to update, officials said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• falsity
• misreport
• misstatement