misinterpret

[mis-in-tur-prit]

See more synonyms for misinterpret on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with or without object)

to interpret, explain, or understand incorrectly.

Origin of misinterpret

First recorded in 1580–90; mis-¹ + interpret

Related formsmis·in·ter·pret·a·ble, adjectivemis·in·ter·pre·ta·tion, nounmis·in·ter·pret·er, nounun·mis·in·ter·pret·a·ble, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for misinterpretation

misconception, misjudgment, error, delusion, misapprehension, confusion, mix-up, mistake, misconstruction, confounding

Examples from the Web for misinterpretation

Contemporary Examples of misinterpretation

But like the book itself, the photo is just another an object for scrutiny, judgment and, inevitably, misinterpretation.
A Picture Says It All Or Does It? Judging an Author by Their Photo
Jennifer Miller
December 10, 2013
I lost interest in painting after that—it was an art form too open to misinterpretation.
Ma Jian: How I Write
Noah Charney
June 12, 2013
Najafi told The Daily Beast that perceiving his song as an insult is “a 100 percent misinterpretation.”
Iranian Rapper Shahin Najafi Faces Death Threats for Song Deemed Insult
Omid Memarian
May 12, 2012
Her online profile has done little to correct the misinterpretation.
Behind the Co-Ed Murder Scandal
Barbie Latza Nadeau
March 13, 2009

Historical Examples of misinterpretation

All ferocity must be misinterpretation of the divine law of harmony and mutual help.
The Conquest of Fear
Basil King
These illusions spring from misinterpretation of Scripture language.
The Works of Whittier, Volume V (of VII)
John Greenleaf Whittier
I could have groaned in my rage at such a misinterpretation.
Bardelys the Magnificent
Rafael Sabatini
Furthermore, he was unfair to himself and unjust to her in the misinterpretation of her behavior.
The Loyalist
James Francis Barrett
This commission, it is to be feared, is losing much of its force from misinterpretation.
Thoughts on Missions
Sheldon Dibble

British Dictionary definitions for misinterpretation

misinterpret

verb

(tr) to interpret badly, misleadingly, or incorrectly

Derived Formsmisinterpretation, nounmisinterpreter, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for misinterpretation

1570s; see mis- (1) + interpretation.

misinterpret

1580s, from mis- (1) + interpret. Related: Misinterpreted; misinterpreting.