mistranslation
Americannoun
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the act of translating incorrectly.
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a word, sentence, etc., that has been translated incorrectly.
Other Word Forms
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.
In many Latin American countries, a public notary is the equivalent of a lawyer, and notario fraudsters rely on this mistranslation to fake credentials.
From Salon • May 2, 2026
After Omar arrives in America, much of the opera’s drama is channeled through what the production’s director, Kaneza Schaal, called “a contest of languages,” involving much translation and mistranslation.
From New York Times • May 19, 2022
“The elves didn’t build a weapon,” Fenn tells Istredd, correcting a mistranslation in the text.
From Washington Post • Dec. 22, 2021
The man explained his brilliant mistranslation: “It means,” he said, “that the situation was a long time ago and the situation is in the archives; it has been archived for 10 years.”
From The Guardian • Apr. 4, 2020
Some have argued that it’s a mistranslation in the bible.
From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely
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.
