misidentify

verb

mis·​iden·​ti·​fy ˌmis-ī-ˈden-tə-ˌfī 

-ə-ˈden-

misidentified; misidentifying

transitive verb

: 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

While examining the American Museum's collection, I came across a mongoose specimen that was clearly misidentified.

—W. Chris Wozencraft

Examples of misidentify in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But while false arrests due to facial recognition software can easily be blamed on glitchy tech, an even more disturbing pattern is starting to emerge, as AI-wielding officers don’t just misidentify suspects, but use the technology to fabricate evidence. —Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 18 June 2026

Many misidentify water moccasins with other nonvenomous aquatic snakes. —Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026

The spider is easily mixed up with two native North Carolinian arachnids, meaning many people misidentify native spiders as Jorō. —Eva Flowe june 4, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2026

Tanner was such an unknown to most back in April at The Masters to the point where Getty photographers were misidentifying her as Clark's old girlfriend. —Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for misidentify

• canaliculi
• dwi
• micronuclei
• oversimplify
• abscissae
• adonai
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli