misquote

[mis-kwoht]

verb (used with or without object)

misquoted, misquoting 

1. to quote incorrectly.

noun

1. a quotation that is incorrect.

misquote

/ ˌmɪsˈkwəʊt /

verb

1. to quote (a text, speech, etc) inaccurately

Other Word Forms

• misquoter noun
• misquotation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of misquote¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; mis- ¹ + quote

Example Sentences

“Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated,” says the text over the photo, referencing a famous and famously misquoted line from the American literary icon.

From Los Angeles Times

But this statement has been frequently misquoted and transformed, with Barack Obama saying, “The arc of history is long, but it bends towards justice.”

From Salon

At the Ivors, I accidentally misquote this back to him as "an unassailable guitar record".

From BBC

He later denied the report, saying the network misquoted him.

From Los Angeles Times

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,” John F. Kennedy warned as he misquoted Edmund Burke.

From Salon