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
James G. BarberExamples of misattribution in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Elite institutions, of course, are incentivized to promote and embed these views, which leads to a pervasive misattribution about the nature of executive success.
—Dave Winsborough, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Safra also accuses the house of misattributions that drastically slashed the value of key works.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Both the company and pollster confirmed the misattribution but did not comment further.
—Phoebe Petrovic, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2024
The new app addresses the concerns of creators who face unauthorized use and misattribution of their work.
—Melody Brue, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
However, this inclination to downplay difficulties underscores a broader societal norm where vulnerability is often stigmatized and hidden—which is further demonstrated by the misattribution of recovery to competent characters.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Some of that misattribution could be addressed by returning to the shattering events of the past four years and remembering what Americans went through.
—George Makari, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024
Regardless of what the fake books are filled with, the larger question is how Amazon and Goodreads, two major sites that reach hundreds of millions of customers, plan to safeguard both authors and customers against fraud and misattribution.
—Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 8 Aug. 2023
A lot of the time the political players that try and exploit controversy will make that misattribution.
—Sonaiya Kelleystaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2022
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Dave Winsborough, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Safra also accuses the house of misattributions that drastically slashed the value of key works.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Both the company and pollster confirmed the misattribution but did not comment further.
—Phoebe Petrovic, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2024
The new app addresses the concerns of creators who face unauthorized use and misattribution of their work.
—Melody Brue, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
However, this inclination to downplay difficulties underscores a broader societal norm where vulnerability is often stigmatized and hidden—which is further demonstrated by the misattribution of recovery to competent characters.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Some of that misattribution could be addressed by returning to the shattering events of the past four years and remembering what Americans went through.
—George Makari, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024
Regardless of what the fake books are filled with, the larger question is how Amazon and Goodreads, two major sites that reach hundreds of millions of customers, plan to safeguard both authors and customers against fraud and misattribution.
—Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 8 Aug. 2023
A lot of the time the political players that try and exploit controversy will make that misattribution.
—Sonaiya Kelleystaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Misattribution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misattribution. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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