mistranslate
verb (used with or without object)
to translate incorrectly.
mistranslated
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past participleof mistranslate.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof mistranslate.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
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.
And in a setting where a mistranslated word can mean the difference between an accurate diagnosis and a dangerous mistake, the consequences can be severe—or even deadly.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
One chunk of land was secured by one of Shehu’s lawyers in 2007 by presenting property officials a mistranslated Ottoman-era land record.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
In 2014, Japanese man Dorian Nakamoto was pursued by reporters who thought he was the elusive Bitcoin creator, but it proved to be false lead caused by some mistranslated information.
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2024
He had also been quoted as saying during his interrogation that he felt “drowsy” before the accident — a word he later told his wife had been mistranslated in a statement he signed.
From New York Times ● Feb. 21, 2023
This accurate description somehow got mistranslated as ‘tube’, but modern medicine seems to be stuck with the inaccurate version of the term.’
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
