misrepresent
Americanverb (used with object)
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to represent incorrectly, improperly, or falsely.
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to represent in an unsatisfactory manner.
verb
Related Words
Misrepresent, distort, falsify, belie share the sense of presenting information in a way that does not accord with the truth. Misrepresent usually involves a deliberate intention to deceive, either for profit or advantage: The dealer misrepresented the condition of the car. Distort implies a purposeful twisting or emphasizing of certain statements so as to produce an inaccurate or misleading impresssion: cleverly distorting the facts to create an impression of his own innocence. Falsify suggests a tampering with or alteration of facts, records, or documents, especially with the intent to cheat or deceive: He falsified the birth records to conceal his age. Belie means to create an impression that is inconsistent with the facts, or that contradicts other evidence but it does not usually suggest intent to deceive: Her casual, relaxed manner belies her insecurity.
Other Word Forms
- misrepresentation noun
- misrepresentative adjective
- misrepresenter noun
- premisrepresent verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of misrepresent
Explanation
If you deliberately mislead someone — for example, by lying about your work experience at a job interview — you misrepresent yourself, or paint a false picture of who you are. The verb misrepresent can be a relatively gentle way to say "lie," or it can mean more of a bending of the truth. You might misrepresent the reliability of an old car you're trying to sell or accidentally misrepresent an author's intentions in a school book report. The word itself is built from the Old English prefix mis-, which means "bad or wrong," and represent, or "depict, describe, or symbolize."
Vocabulary lists containing misrepresent
Power Prefix: mis-
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mis-
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In the Words of Abraham Lincoln
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She had no intention to misquote or misrepresent the rulings and that "the mistake occurred solely due to the reliance on an automatic source", the high court wrote.
From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026
The uptick is related to the use of AI by bad actors to misrepresent their income, Wickett said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 16, 2025
But there are things you can do as an attorney if you misrepresent the record.
From Slate • Oct. 9, 2025
But almost immediately, those posts are flooded with comments and reposts that pollute, misrepresent and even attempt to discredit the alert, inadvertently fueling misinformation.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2025
The skilled orator is out not necessarily to knock down his opponent’s case tout court—but to misrepresent his opponent’s case in such a way as to make it easier to attack.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
