misattribute

verb

mis·​at·​trib·​ute ˌmis-ə-ˈtri-ˌbyüt 

-byət

misattributed; misattributing

transitive verb

: to incorrectly indicate the cause, origin, or creator of (something) : to attribute wrongly

There's still dispute about this Canadian species, which was originally misattributed to Connecticut.

—Kristin Nord

It also suggests that some of the more elegant clocks traditionally assigned to Concord clockmakers have been misattributed.

—Kenneth Joel Zogry

Examples of misattribute in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Extreme heatwaves increasingly force power plants to reduce output, a problem often misattributed solely to nuclear safety. — Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Part of Devtov’s concerns include that the public will falsely believe there is a connection between the two developers and misattribute their projects to each other. — Alexandra Phelps july 15, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026

Hoffman’s counter is that most of that pain is being misattributed. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 June 2026

But too many women experience delays in diagnosis because of symptoms being dismissed or misattributed to anxiety, stress, or other non-cardiac issues, WomenHeart reports. — Roni Robbins, AJC.com, 27 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for misattribute

• irresolute
• reconstitute
• absolute
• arrowroot
• attribute
• bitterroot
• constitute
• convolute
• destitute
• disrepute
• dissolute
• execute