misinformation

noun

mis·​in·​for·​ma·​tion ˌmis-ˌin-fər-ˈmā-shən How to pronounce misinformation (audio)
: incorrect or misleading information
Indubitably, a great deal of paranoid and otherwise irresponsible misinformation about the Kennedy assassination has traveled far and sold well …Ronnie Dugger
A muddle of misinformation keeps clouding the debate over hormone-replacement therapy for women.Melinda Beck
Each of these pieces of information (and misinformation) about me is sold for about two-fifths of a cent to advertisers, which then deliver me an Internet ad, send me a catalog or mail me a credit-card offer.Joel Stein

Examples of misinformation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Even staunch opponents of medical misinformation found the bill a flawed weapon in the fight against falsehoods. Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2023 And unlike nuclear, which has seen a dramatic surge in support from the center and right wing in recent years, offshore wind is currently the target of a massive misinformation campaign. Molly Taft, The New Republic, 8 Sep. 2023 Those disagreements flared during the pandemic, when even basic health information became a target for skepticism or misinformation. Lindsay Gellman, STAT, 8 Sep. 2023 Two new reports out this week show that nation-states are also likely rushing to adapt the same technology into weapons of misinformation, in what could become a troubling AI arms race between great powers. Will Knight, WIRED, 7 Sep. 2023 The United States, for example, has often been less willing to publicize or publicly engage on questions about UFOs — even going so far to spread misinformation in the 1950s — for fear of ceding a strategic advantage to adversaries and jeopardizing national security. Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2023 There are many videos where people profess the benefits of consuming and/or bathing in borax — while others attempt to debunk the misinformation. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 4 Sep. 2023 Then, Bash had to go into a break, leaving Ramaswamy’s smug gotcha reply–and misinformation–unchallenged. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2023 Julie Millican, vice president of Media Matters, a nonprofit dedicated to monitoring far-right misinformation, believes YouTube deserves credit for improving its algorithms to better limit the proliferation of extremist content. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 30 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misinformation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of misinformation was in 1605

Dictionary Entries Near misinformation

Cite this Entry

“Misinformation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misinformation. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.

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