misattribution

noun

mis·​at·​tri·​bu·​tion ˌmis-ˌa-trə-ˈbyü-shən How to pronounce misattribution (audio)
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 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 Such misattribution of luck suggests that rivals will leave the A’s alone without investigating, learning, or copying their brilliant strategy. Forbes, 22 Sep. 2021 Now, Goldberg and her cohosts are standing firm against aural misattribution on the set of the long-running talk show. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2023 This misattribution to ‘inner states’ rather than habits was brought to light in a recent study led by psychologist Asaf Mazar. Mark Travers, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2022 For that reason, misattribution to Lincoln has been common, even by other presidents. Matthew Brown, USA TODAY, 27 Aug. 2020 The issue of celebrations, meanwhile, seems to animate even more of you than the misattribution of theme parks. Rory Smith, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2023 The books also reveal glimpses into issues of racial and cultural misattribution. Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misattribution.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of misattribution was in 1865

Dictionary Entries Near misattribution

Cite this Entry

“Misattribution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misattribution. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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