misidentify
verb
mis·iden·ti·fy
ˌmis-ī-ˈden-tə-ˌfī 
-ə-ˈden-
misidentified; misidentifying
: to identify (someone or something) incorrectly
… a coroner apparently misidentified the bullet he removed from the victim, stating that its caliber differed from that of the bullet entered as evidence against the known shooter.—
David Fisher
David FisherWhile examining the American Museum's collection, I came across a mongoose specimen that was clearly misidentified.—W. Chris Wozencraft
W. Chris WozencraftExamples of misidentify in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This post was corrected after misidentifying Council President Julie Menin.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 12 Jan. 2026
Researchers say outdated diagnostics often misidentify the infection, which delays treatment.
—Nick Caloway, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
Wear fluorescent orange to make sure other hunters do not misidentify you.
—Jacob Wilt, jsonline.com, 25 Nov. 2025
Studies have shown facial recognition systems misidentify women and people of color at far higher rates than white men.
—Joel Bervell, Time, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misidentify
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Ted Johnson, Deadline, 12 Jan. 2026
Researchers say outdated diagnostics often misidentify the infection, which delays treatment.
—Nick Caloway, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
Wear fluorescent orange to make sure other hunters do not misidentify you.
—Jacob Wilt, jsonline.com, 25 Nov. 2025
Studies have shown facial recognition systems misidentify women and people of color at far higher rates than white men.
—Joel Bervell, Time, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misidentify
Cite this Entry
“Misidentify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misidentify. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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