misinformation

mis·in·for·ma·tion | \ ˌmis-ˌin-fər-ˈmā-shən

Definition of misinformation

: 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 The hotline made her a powerful conduit of misinformation into a world that often shunned outsiders. — Adam Rogers, WIRED, "Fear, Misinformation, and Measles Spread in Brooklyn," 24 June 2019 In their paper, Schmid and Betsch present some good news and some bad: rebutting misinformation reduces the ensuing level of science denialism, but not enough to completely counter the effect of the original exposure to misinformation. — Cathleen O'grady, Ars Technica, "Two tactics effectively limit the spread of science denialism," 27 June 2019 Scary health misinformation from a website notorious for conjuring falsehoods can be particularly difficult to contain. — Elaine Ayala, ExpressNews.com, "San Antonio officials, news media fight fear with facts," 14 June 2019 The state must team with doctors to teach the public that vaccines are safe in an effort to combat misinformation. — The Denver Post Editorial Board, The Denver Post, "Editorial: Respond aggressively to Colorado’s declining vaccination rate," 14 June 2019

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