mistakenly
Americanadverb
-
unintentionally or inadvertently; by mistake.
I may have mistakenly interchanged them without realizing it.
-
in a way that is wrongly conceived, held, or done; incorrectly.
Many people mistakenly believe their PhD will help them land a stable, middle-class job even if they can't get an academic job.
Etymology
Origin of mistakenly
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.
He acknowledged that Kaur was unlikely to reoffend and said her motive was "mistakenly, to protect your son rather than for any personal gain".
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
The turning point came in 1983 when a Soviet fighter shot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007 after the passenger jet mistakenly flew into Soviet airspace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
A Google Maps glitch has caused chaos after traffic was mistakenly diverted from the A9 to a single-track road between Dunkeld and Pitlochry.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
They can cause graft-versus-host disease, a potentially serious condition in which the transplanted immune cells mistakenly attack the patient's healthy tissue.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
Some also believe, mistakenly, that snakes cannot slither over the rails, so they sleep there for protection.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
