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

• mistake

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

Any miscalculation could spark a broader confrontation, highlighting the delicate balance between law enforcement operations and geopolitical tensions. —Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025

This may have been a serious and dangerous miscalculation. —Hadley Gamble, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2025

The slightest miscalculation would be fatal, or even worse, far worse, leave you in a wheelchair for the rest of your life. —T. Coraghessan Boyle, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2025

For Buffett, the split is a symbolic closing chapter on a rare investing miscalculation. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 3 Sep. 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