misinterpret

verb mis·in·ter·pret \ ˌmi-sᵊn-ˈtər-prət , -pət \

Updated on: 16 May 2018

Definition of misinterpret

transitive verb

1 : to explain wrongly

His comment on the speech misinterprets the speaker's meaning.

2 : to understand wrongly

Her silence should not be misinterpreted as consent.

—

misinterpretation

play \ˌmi-sᵊn-ˌtər-prə-ˈtā-shən, -pə-\ noun

See misinterpret defined for English-language learners

See misinterpret defined for kids

Examples of misinterpret in a Sentence

He claims that his statements have been misinterpreted by the media.
Her silence should not be misinterpreted as consent.

Recent Examples of misinterpret from the Web

SUBSCRIBE TODAY Philanthropy has been misinterpreted by being associated only with rich (another relative term) people.

— vincent kituku, idahostatesman, "My mother — the epitome of strength | Idaho Statesman," 13 May 2018
Some, however, have misinterpreted the scope of that protection.

— michael mccann, SI.com, "Can the NFL or Its Teams Legally Require Players to Stand for the Anthem? NFLPA Doesn't Think So," 8 May 2018
The campaign insisted that the adviser had been misinterpreted, and no back-channel communication had taken place.

— bobby jindal, WSJ, "Trump Keeps His Predecessors’ Promises," 3 Apr. 2018
Stevens claims the Amendment has been misinterpreted in recent decades to extend beyond its original intent to allow citizens to form militias in the face of potential government tyranny.

— maura zurick, cleveland.com, "Talk it Out: Should the United States repeal the Second Amendment as 1 former Supreme Court Justice suggests?," 28 Mar. 2018
The laws in question are complex and easy to misinterpret or distort.

— michael smolens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Why it seems like Jerry Brown is running for office — in your town," 29 Apr. 2018
Fraser Nelson, the editor of the pro-Brexit Spectator, has criticised liberal Tories such as Ms Rudd for misinterpreting Brexit as a vote for closing the borders rather than embracing a more global future.

— The Economist, "Amber Rudd finds herself in a hostile environment," 28 Apr. 2018
Ronda Rousey's tour of ESPN shows on Tuesday was super-awkward between a misinterpreted Golic and Wingo question and an exchange between the MMA/WWE star and Max Kellerman.

— charles curtis, USA TODAY, "Rousey hilariously zinged ESPN's 'Get Up' crew," 28 Mar. 2018
No matter that both Schoenecker and Koopman may be misinterpreting his message, Deininger sides with the student.

— bruce vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "The artist behind gun T-shirt says both sides in Wisconsin school controversy are missing the point," 16 Apr. 2018

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

First Known Use of misinterpret

1547

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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MISINTERPRET Defined for English Language Learners

misinterpret

verb

Definition of misinterpret for English Language Learners

: to understand or explain (something) incorrectly : to interpret (something) incorrectly

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for misinterpret Spanish Central: Translation of misinterpret Nglish: Translation of misinterpret for Spanish speakers

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misinterpretation

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