misconception
noun
mis·con·cep·tion
ˌmis-kən-ˈsep-shən 
plural misconceptions
: a wrong or inaccurate idea or conception
a common/popular misconception
There's this misconception that you get famous and everything is perfect.—
Chris Daughtry
Chris DaughtryThe new name, along with more stringent criteria for diagnosing the disorder, represents an attempt to clear up misconceptions about the disorder and to have it taken more seriously by psychiatrists as well as the courts.—Janny Scott
Janny ScottMany gardeners are under the misconception [=have the mistaken idea] that bamboos grow only in mild climates.—Nan Sterman
Nan Sterman… artists, writers, and musicians who labor under the misconception that it's possible to come up with something new under the sun …—Simon Reynolds
Simon ReynoldsExamples of misconception in a Sentence
it is a popular misconception that the Great Wall of China is visible from outer space
Recent Examples on the Web
High-wealth households looking for more ways to save One common misconception about life insurance, industry experts say, is that its only purpose is to pay a death benefit.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 15 Feb. 2026
Brooke Nevils’s memoir is also a reckoning with many misconceptions about #MeToo narratives, Hillary Kelly writes.
—Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
Rodriguez and four other board members praised the student demonstrators during a Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday at the Education Service Center in Waukegan, in attempting to correct misconceptions expressed on social media and elsewhere.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Some believe bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are untraceable – and therefore useful in ransom demands – but experts say this is a misconception.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misconception
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Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 15 Feb. 2026
Brooke Nevils’s memoir is also a reckoning with many misconceptions about #MeToo narratives, Hillary Kelly writes.
—Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
Rodriguez and four other board members praised the student demonstrators during a Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday at the Education Service Center in Waukegan, in attempting to correct misconceptions expressed on social media and elsewhere.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Some believe bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are untraceable – and therefore useful in ransom demands – but experts say this is a misconception.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misconception
Cite this Entry
“Misconception.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misconception. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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