misinterpret

verb

mis·​in·​ter·​pret ˌmi-sᵊn-ˈtər-prət How to pronounce misinterpret (audio)
-pət
misinterpreted; misinterpreting; misinterprets

transitive verb

1
: to explain wrongly
His comment on the speech misinterprets the speaker's meaning.
2
: to understand wrongly
Her silence should not be misinterpreted as consent.

Examples of misinterpret in a Sentence

He claims that his statements have been misinterpreted by the media. Her silence should not be misinterpreted as consent.
Recent Examples on the Web Large language models can misinterpret input or even fabricate inaccurate responses, an effect called hallucination. Carla K. Johnson, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 Rosenberger said the resolution was being misinterpreted. Reuters, NBC News, 16 Jan. 2024 One problem with studying mouse behavior is the danger of misinterpreting what the mouse is sensing and thinking. IEEE Spectrum, 9 Dec. 2023 Her research showed Black, Deaf users are concerned about the potential for AI systems to misinterpret signs, generate poor captions, take jobs from interpreters, and disadvantage individuals who opt for manual interpretation. Paresh Dave, WIRED, 7 Mar. 2024 The cone, introduced 22 years ago, has been misinterpreted by the general public practically since day one. Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2024 Students for Fair Admissions contended that the government had misinterpreted Chief Justice Roberts’s footnote as an exception for military academies. Abbie Vansickle, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024 The debate reached a fever pitch in September 2022 as powerful Hurricane Ian approached Florida, and both public officials and private citizens misinterpreted the graphic. USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024 Late Tuesday in a prepared statement, Wendy’s said it was misinterpreted in a prepared statement. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misinterpret.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misinterpret was in 1547

Dictionary Entries Near misinterpret

Cite this Entry

“Misinterpret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misinterpret. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

misinterpret

verb
mis·​in·​ter·​pret ˌmis-ᵊn-ˈtər-prət How to pronounce misinterpret (audio)
-pət
: to understand or explain wrongly
misinterpretation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on misinterpret

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