misinterpret

[ mis-in-tur-prit ]

/ ˌmɪs ɪnˈtɜr prɪt /

verb (used with or without object)

to interpret, explain, or understand incorrectly.

Nearby words

mishpocha, misidentify, misimpression, misinform, misinformation, misinterpret, misjoinder, misjudge, miskito, misknow, miskolc

Origin of misinterpret

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

Related forms

mis·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. 2019

Examples from the Web for misinterpreted

According to Schumer, Obama and his administration had misinterpreted their 2008 electoral mandate.
2016 Is No Democratic Slam Dunk|Lloyd Green|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So, people have misinterpreted the word “feminist” to be a dividing word as opposed to a uniting one.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt on Why He’s Exploring the Word ‘Feminism’ and Online Misogyny|Marlow Stern|September 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Elvis (n.): A Christmas elf, as misinterpreted by Alana, who in one episode mistakes, “Elvis helps Santa Claus make toys.”
‘Here Comes Honey Boo Boo’: A Glossary|Kevin Fallon|July 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
She talked about a recent opposition art project that Putin misinterpreted.
Pussy Riot’s Yekaterina Samutsevich Speaks Out|Anna Nemtsova|November 30, 2012|DAILY BEAST

It is a narrative grounded in evidence that has been “rejected, suppressed, misinterpreted,” Morris says.
Errol Morris’s “A Wilderness of Error” Revisits Jeffrey MacDonald Case|Raymond Bonner|August 30, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The world's early historic chronology, it is now universally admitted, has been misinterpreted.
The Archaeology and Prehistoric Annals of Scotland|Daniel Wilson
Our forced inaction had, as I anticipated, been misinterpreted by the Nagas.
My Experiences in Manipur and the Naga Hills|James Johnstone
She had misinterpreted his motive and had believed that he had come to confess to her his own failure.
The Kingdom Round the Corner|Coningsby Dawson
And Newman misinterpreted those smiles completely; especially Bernice's.
Subspace Survivors|E. E. Smith
He misinterpreted my silence, and thought me overwhelmed with remorse at the part I had played.
Piccadilly|Laurence Oliphant

British Dictionary definitions for misinterpreted

misinterpret

/ (ˌmɪsɪnˈtɜːprɪt) /

verb

(tr) to interpret badly, misleadingly, or incorrectly

Derived Forms

misinterpretation, 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