mistake

1 of 2

verb

mis·​take mə-ˈstāk How to pronounce mistake (audio)
mistook mə-ˈstu̇k How to pronounce mistake (audio) ; mistaken mə-ˈstā-kən How to pronounce mistake (audio) ; mistaking

transitive verb

1
: to blunder in the choice of
mistook her way in the dark
2
a
: to misunderstand the meaning or intention of : misinterpret
don't mistake me, I mean exactly what I said
b
: to make a wrong judgment of the character or ability of
The army's leaders mistook the strength of the enemy.
3
: to identify wrongly : confuse with another
I mistook him for his brother

intransitive verb

: to be wrong
you mistook when you thought I laughed at youThomas Hardy
mistakenly adverb
mistaker noun

mistake

2 of 2

noun

1
: a wrong judgment : misunderstanding
2
: a wrong action or statement proceeding from faulty judgment, inadequate knowledge, or inattention
Choose the Right Synonym for mistake

error, mistake, blunder, slip, lapse mean a departure from what is true, right, or proper.

error suggests the existence of a standard or guide and a straying from the right course through failure to make effective use of this.

procedural errors

mistake implies misconception or inadvertence and usually expresses less criticism than error.

dialed the wrong number by mistake

blunder regularly imputes stupidity or ignorance as a cause and connotes some degree of blame.

diplomatic blunders

slip stresses inadvertence or accident and applies especially to trivial but embarrassing mistakes.

a slip of the tongue

lapse stresses forgetfulness, weakness, or inattention as a cause.

a lapse in judgment

Examples of mistake in a Sentence

Verb the auctioneer mistook my nod for a bid, and I ended up buying a painting I don't even like you seriously mistake me if you think I scare so easily Noun It would be a mistake to assume that we can rely on their help. There must be some mistake. The manuscript contains numerous spelling mistakes. There's a mistake in the schedule. “When does the movie start?” “At 8:00. No, wait—my mistake—it starts at 8:30.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
One of them was a neighbor holding an object police mistook for a weapon. Andrew Ford, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 The software mistook this for two peace signs, triggering virtual confetti to cascade down on him. David Phelan, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 He’d been mistaken for Harry Styles at a bar in rural Ireland. Hazlitt, 28 Feb. 2024 At one point, The Parent Trap star joked that Bill Hader mistook her for Quinta Brunson's publicist. Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024 At times, birds will fall silent and nocturnal animals will abruptly awaken, mistaking the brief phenomenon for nightfall. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024 But like the setting of The Quiet Girl, the town of New Ross in Wexford County shows so little evidence of change it could be mistaken for 20 or even 30 years earlier. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2024 The virus also causes one or more red, uncomfortable skin lesions, which several previous patients mistook for spider or insect bites. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2024 After a video went viral of Cyrus appreciating Flav for now knowing her name while backstage at the 2024 Grammy Awards, the Public Enemy rapper opened up about mistaking her for Stefani in a new interview on the podcast Just B with Bethenny Frankel. Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
Some experts on Ohio ethics rules and one of Alicia Reece's fellow Democrats on the board say her failure to disclose her father's connection to the center was a mistake. The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024 The prosecutors pointed out there was no evidence of a verdict mistake, internal or external pressure on the jury, or racist attitudes toward the defendant. Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Randy Hickey, My Name Is Earl (2005–09) Sidekick to: Earl J. Hickey My Name Is Earl's title character has made a lot of mistakes, but keeping his brother by his side isn't one of them. Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024 There is no bigger mistake than relying on a man (or really anyone) to support you forever. Sherry Kuehl, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2024 At a campaign stop in Mineral Wells, Abbott called his previous endorsement of Rogers a mistake, citing disagreements over the governor’s school voucher plan. Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024 Fox News will commission a six-part series about Biden’s cognitive decline, led by mental-health experts like Sean Hannity and Jesse Watters, while blithely ignoring Trump’s frequent mistakes and misstatements — the unintentional ones — or writing them off as part of his folksy charm. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 Given the difficulty of deciphering complicated rules and the fear of making a mistake or missing out on a deduction, many people turn to professionals or pay to use software. Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Mar. 2024 Black’s two-seam fastball has some rising action, which gives it a unique profile but also means mistakes can be hit a long way, which is what Ehire Adrianza did to Black’s first pitch of spring training. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mistake was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near mistake

Cite this Entry

“Mistake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mistake. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mistake

1 of 2 verb
mis·​take mə-ˈstāk How to pronounce mistake (audio)
mistook -ˈstu̇k How to pronounce mistake (audio) ; mistaken -ˈstā-kən How to pronounce mistake (audio) ; mistaking
1
: to understand wrongly : misinterpret
mistook my meaning
2
: to estimate incorrectly
mistook the strength of the enemy
3
: to identify wrongly
mistook me for her
mistakenly adverb

mistake

2 of 2 noun
1
: a wrong judgment : misunderstanding
2
: a wrong action or statement

Legal Definition

mistake

noun
mis·​take
1
: an unintentional error especially in legal procedure or form that does not indicate bad faith and that commonly warrants excuse or relief by the court
the court's power to revise a judgment because of fraud, mistake, or irregularity
a clerical mistake
2
: an erroneous belief: as
a
: a state of mind that is not in accordance with the facts existing at the time a contract is made and that may be a ground for the rescission or reformation of the contract
b
: a misconception at the time of an offense alleged by a defendant
mistake of fact
: a mistake regarding a fact or facts especially that significantly affects the performance of a contract
: a criminal defense that attempts to eliminate culpability on the ground that the defendant operated from an unintentional misunderstanding of fact rather than from a criminal purpose
mistake of law
: a mistake involving the misunderstanding or incorrect application of law in regard to an act, contract, transaction, determination, or state of affairs
also : a criminal defense alleging such a mistake

Note: In both contract and criminal law a mistake of law is a weaker ground for relief or acquittal than a mistake of fact.

mutual mistake
: a mistake common to both parties to a contract who were in agreement about the purpose or terms of the contract reformed the contract because of a mutual mistake
unilateral mistake
: a mistake on the part of one party to a contract that is usually not a ground for rescission or reformation unless one party stands to profit or benefit improperly from the mistake

More from Merriam-Webster on mistake

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