miscalculation

noun

mis·​cal·​cu·​la·​tion ˌmis-ˌkal-kyə-ˈlā-shən 

plural miscalculations

: a mistake in calculation : wrong calculation

a costly miscalculation

… ruled that utility shareholders, not electricity consumers, must pay for some or all of the miscalculations that resulted in excessive expansion or cost overruns.

—Peter Nulty

Synonyms

• misapprehension
• misjudging
• misjudgment
• misstep
• mistake
• slip
• slipup

Examples of miscalculation in a Sentence

treating her opponent as an intellectual lightweight was a serious miscalculation on her part

Recent Examples on the Web

Russian military bloggers have been largely critical of Iran over its military failures, blaming its strategic miscalculations. —Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 19 June 2025

The most immediate risk at the present is that of retaliation, miscalculation, and escalation, which could spiral into a regional conflict or all out war. —Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025

But any missteps or miscalculations by either side could mean that all bets are off. —Michael Kugelman, Time, 3 May 2025

For the education sector as a whole, and for the preservation of academic freedom, Kimball pointed out to me, the decision to target Harvard may turn out to be a fortunate miscalculation. —John Cassidy, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for miscalculation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration