misapprehend

1 of 2

verb

mis·​ap·​pre·​hend (ˌ)mis-ˌa-pri-ˈhend 

misapprehended; misapprehending; misapprehends

transitive verb

: to apprehend wrongly : misunderstand

misapprehension

(ˌ)mis-ˌa-pri-ˈhen(t)-shən 

noun

misapprehension

2 of 2

noun

mis·​apprehension "+ 

1

: the action of misapprehending

changed certain equivocal passages to prevent further misapprehension of his views

—S. P. Chase & J. K. Snyder

2

: the state of being misapprehended

an attempt to eliminate some of the common misapprehensions and confusions which have traditionally haunted aesthetic thought

—Hunter Mead

Synonyms of misapprehend

Verb

• misunderstand

Examples of misapprehend in a Sentence

Verb

unfortunately, the message that the artist was trying to convey has been misapprehended by many museum patrons

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

That is true of leaders anywhere, but Israel’s history has predisposed some of its policymakers to focus excessively on day-to-day survival and to misapprehend or ignore strategic dynamics as a result. — Andrew P. Miller, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2025

But would her students, turned on everywhere by the dogma of political correctness, misapprehend Haynes’s aim? — Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 22 June 2023

But to call him a ‘man of the Right’ is to misapprehend his own words and actions. — John Hirschauer, National Review, 25 Feb. 2020

Traditionally, that's led to things like snakes on stage and misapprehended awards speeches. — Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, 20 Aug. 2018

Yet by the same logic, giving Washington and Jefferson a pass for being slaveholders misapprehends a moral problem embedded in our nation at its conception. — Ron Grossman, chicagotribune.com, 25 Aug. 2017

This is a silly parlor game that misapprehends James’s gifts, which have never been those of a pure scorer. — Michael Powell, New York Times, 10 June 2017

This isn’t just shooting your mouth off on the stump—this is the nation’s top lawyer completely misapprehending what judges do and what states are. — Dahlia Lithwick, Slate Magazine, 20 Apr. 2017

Word History

Etymology

Noun

mis- entry 1 + apprehension

First Known Use

Verb

1628, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for misapprehend

• superintend
• amend
• append
• ascend
• attend
• backend
• befriend
• boyfriend
• commend
• compend
• contend
• defend

Kids Definition

misapprehend

verb

mis·​ap·​pre·​hend (ˌ)mis-ˌap-ri-ˈhend 

: misunderstand

misapprehension

-ˈhen-chən 

noun