misinterpretation

noun

mis·​in·​ter·​pre·​ta·​tion ˌmi-sᵊn-ˌtər-prə-ˈtā-shən 

-pə-

plural misinterpretations

: failure to understand or interpret something correctly

an error caused by misinterpretation of the rules

: a mistaken interpretation

… it soon becomes obvious to workers in the field that misunderstandings and misinterpretations of conventional terms seriously interfere with scholarly communication.

—Juergan Eichhoff

Synonyms of misinterpretation

• misunderstanding

Examples of misinterpretation in a Sentence

his misinterpretation of the ambiguously worded instructions was hardly his fault

Recent Examples on the Web

Previous measurements implied that the motion of stars in the SMC were indicative of the rotation of the dwarf galaxy, but according to these new results, that was a misinterpretation. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 7 June 2026

That burden exists for good reason — accusations are sometimes based on misunderstanding, misinterpretation or worse, bad faith. —Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Daily News, 3 June 2026

Conflating the two leads to misinterpretation of trends and misallocation of resources. —Jennifer E. O'Brien, The Conversation, 1 June 2026

Although Turkish officials have stopped short of declaring the incidents deliberate attacks, each interception raises the risk of escalation, whether through miscalculation, technical failure, or misinterpretation of intent. —Steve Mollman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for misinterpretation

• acclimatisation
• acclimatization
• acidification
• actualization
• annualization
• autocorrelation
• autoregulation
• beatification
• beneficiation
• biodegradation
• biotransformation
• bureaucratization