misidentification

noun

mis·​iden·​ti·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌmis-ī-ˌden-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

ˌmis-ə-

plural misidentifications

: incorrect or false identification

The long-term nature of a life insurance policy sometimes accounts for a misidentification of the insured.

—Harriett E. Jones et al.

In the finished novel, the central character insists on calling his girlfriend June, though her name is Joan—one of many obsessional misidentifications in [Henry] Green's fiction.

—Jeremy Treglown

Examples of misidentification in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Airlines are particularly concerned about the risk of civil aircraft misidentification if regional air defense systems are placed on high alert, a scenario that has historically prompted immediate operational caution across the industry. —Hana Al-Khodairi, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Jan. 2026

Among the tens of thousands of photographs that were captured, there were multiple clear images of Tragulus versicolor, which were distinct enough to rule out misidentification with other chevrotain species. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026

National Institute of Standards and Technology testing has documented that the technology does not perform equally across different demographic groups, meaning the risk of misidentification is not evenly distributed across groups. —Nicole M. Bennett, The Conversation, 21 Jan. 2026

Early misidentification of a person of interest The morning after the shooting, FBI Director Kash Patel announced on X that authorities had detained a person of interest overnight. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for misidentification

• americanization
• anticoagulation
• antidiscrimination
• bioaccumulation
• bioremediation
• compartmentalization
• contextualization
• copolymerization
• decriminalization
• dehumidification
• demilitarization
• demineralization