mistaken
Americanadjective
-
wrongly conceived, held, or done.
a mistaken antagonism.
- Synonyms:
- inaccurate
-
a mistaken answer.
-
having made a mistake; being in error.
adjective
-
(usually predicative) wrong in opinion, judgment, etc
she is mistaken
-
arising from error in judgment, opinion, etc
a mistaken viewpoint
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mistaken
First recorded in 1590–1600; past participle of mistake; see -en 3
Explanation
Someone who's mistaken is confused or wrong about something. If you think your guidance counselor is mistaken about what you should do with your life, you will probably ignore his advice. If you see a car speeding through town, you might assume the driver is a teenager — but you'd be mistaken if the car is actually driven by an elderly lady. You also might believe someone else is mistaken if their opinion seems wrong to you: "You think strawberry ice cream is better than chocolate, but you're mistaken." Mistaken comes from mistake, from its Old Norse root mistaka, "take in error."
Vocabulary lists containing mistaken
Way Off: Synonyms for "Wrong"
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"Fear" and "Violence Hits Home"
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Power Suffix: -en
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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.
Marshall, in an email to staff sent later Friday afternoon, said she was mistaken and that cooperation with Canada could continue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
LZ therefore uses several layers of protection and analysis to identify these background events and prevent them from being mistaken for dark matter.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
Hochman called Renteria’s conviction a case of mistaken identity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
A British aid worker says he was mistaken as a survivor of Nepal's flash floods, after it was incorrectly announced he had been rescued.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Thus the claim that there is a new concept of evidence in the 1660s is mistaken; wherever we look what we find is nothing but the reworking of Quintilian’s distinctions.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
