misconception

noun

mis·con·cep·tion | \ ˌmis-kən-ˈsep-shən

plural misconceptions

Definition of misconception

: a wrong or inaccurate idea or conception a common/popular misconception There's this misconception that you get famous and everything is perfect.— Chris Daughtry The new name, along with more stringent criteria for diagnosing the disorder, represents an attempt to clear up misconceptions about the disorder and to have it taken more seriously by psychiatrists as well as the courts.— Janny Scott Many gardeners are under the misconception [=have the mistaken idea] that bamboos grow only in mild climates.— Nan Sterman … artists, writers, and musicians who labor under the misconception that it's possible to come up with something new under the sun …— Simon Reynolds

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Examples of misconception in a Sentence

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But many of the arguments against teachers' demands are based on misconceptions about the teaching profession and how they're compensated. — Dakin Andone, CNN, "Paid summer breaks and other common myths about teachers," 15 Apr. 2018 Threats to Petrified Forest Over the years, a common misconception was that visitors were taking mass sums of fossilized wood out of Petrified Forest. — Lauren Castle, azcentral, "Saguaro, Petrified Forest national parks: Arizona parks work to protect natural resources," 2 Apr. 2018 President Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on European cars is based on a misconception about the imbalance in U.S.-EU trade, the EU’s trade chief has said. — David Meyer, Fortune, "EU Says Trump's Car Tariff Plan Isn't Only Unproductive, It's Also 'Not Based on Facts'," 7 Mar. 2018 Meanwhile, The Ringer’s Lindsay Zoladz argued that the furor around the footage — and publications’ desire to capitalize on its shock value — led to the widespread misconception that Last Tango in Paris depicts an actual rape onscreen. — Anna North, Vox, "The disturbing story behind the rape scene in Bernardo Bertolucci’s Last Tango in Paris, explained," 26 Nov. 2018 Since 2016 put hygge on our radars, the devotion to the concept hasn't seen any slow down, but don't subscribe to the common misconception. — Sienna Fantozzi, House Beautiful, "Everything You Need To Know About Scandinavian Design," 18 Sep. 2018 Learn more about the most common misconceptions about indoor living by taking a look at the full VELUX and YouGov report on the Indoor Generation. — Stephanie Walden, USA TODAY, "5 things the “Indoor Generation” can do to be happier and healthier," 15 May 2018 My job as a historian is to dislodge misconceptions, not to entertain my students and not to make people feel comfortable. — Mark Kennedy, The Seattle Times, "Historians irked by musical ‘Hamilton’ escalate their duel," 4 Feb. 2019 Quinn Slobodian provides exactly that in Globalists, showing how neoliberal ideas grew from particular historical circumstances to global influence, while also correcting certain misconceptions about neoliberalism’s meaning and goals. — Patrick Iber, The New Republic, "How neoliberalism shapes the global economy and limits the power of democracies," 23 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'misconception.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.