misconception
Americannoun
-
misconceptions
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of misconception
First recorded in 1655–65; mis- 1 + conception
Explanation
A misconception is a conclusion that's wrong because it's based on faulty thinking or facts that are wrong. Your accusation about your brother's role in that unfortunate event at your party may be based on a misconception. First appearing in the 1660s, the noun misconception comes from the prefix mis-, meaning "bad, wrong," and the word conception, meaning "act of conceiving." A misconception usually results from incorrect thinking or a flawed understanding. Because they don't know the facts, many people have a misconception about how diseases such as AIDS are transmitted. It's a common misconception that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, when, in fact, he didn't.
Vocabulary lists containing misconception
Power Prefix: mis-
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
World Without Fish
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
A common misconception is that moving abroad requires relinquishing your U.S. citizenship and passport.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Carl Walker, from the Jersey Consumer Council, said there was a "misconception" that fuel prices only impacted people who drove.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
One misconception that people often have about conspiracy theories is that there’s a lack of information, Cotlar said, when actually there’s usually a huge abundance of information.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
There’s a common misconception that the beetles are blind.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
The common impression that pre-agricultural humans lived in an age of stone is a misconception based on this archaeological bias.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
A section of their website is devoted to “common misconceptions about Maoism.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
Both experts have helped BBC News bust burnout myths and misconceptions.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
Inside the beverage industry, Infante says one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding the explosion of nonalcoholic drinks is that they’re replacing alcohol altogether.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
“And why I bring that up is, you know, there’s a lot of misconceptions and tropes about who student loan borrowers are, and who are the ones who are falling behind.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Despite society’s misconceptions about my abilities as an African-American Muslim woman who wears hijab, I defied the odds.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
