misattribution

noun

mis·​at·​tri·​bu·​tion ˌmis-ˌa-trə-ˈbyü-shən 

plural misattributions

: an incorrect attribution (as for a piece of artwork)

For decades this portrait had suffered one misattribution after another. More recently the artist had been listed as unknown.

—James G. Barber

Examples of misattribution in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Bloomberg went on to report that after contacting Phia about the issue, further testing of the site found that misattribution of sales had ceased. — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026

Shiller worries the same misattribution is underway now. — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 27 June 2026

Wernicke says that's wrong—and that the misattribution has obscured something important. — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

Because of the citations, the high court vacated the previous ruling denying Payne's motion, sending it back to the lower court for reassessment without any misattributions. — Dan Raby, CBS News, 5 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for misattribution

• antipollution
• circumlocution
• coevolution
• deconvolution
• electrocution
• irresolution
• maldistribution
• reconstitution
• redistribution
• ablution
• aleutian
• confucian