misinterpret

verb

mis·​in·​ter·​pret ˌmi-sᵊn-ˈtər-prət How to pronounce misinterpret (audio)
-pət
misinterpreted; misinterpreting; misinterprets

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.

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 on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The seemingly unassuming coming-of-ager – a sunny portrait of happy high-school adolescence in Seoul – builds in complexity as a vision of livewire student’s Joo-in’s courage and resilience in the face of trauma, unknown and then misinterpreted by her equally young classmates. John Hopewell, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025 Others gave unclear answers that could be misinterpreted if one isn’t well-versed in state law, which as Andrade and Scott pointed out, gives pretty broad exemptions for parents who want to opt their children out of drug immunization. Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025 Are there political groups or public figures likely to misinterpret the change? Jim Heininger, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025 The blood of all the victims in these endless shootings is on the hands of politicians who accept National Rifle Association money and on the hands of those who continue to misinterpret the Second Amendment. Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for misinterpret

Word History

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misinterpret was in 1547

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Cite this Entry

“Misinterpret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misinterpret. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

misinterpret

verb
mis·​in·​ter·​pret ˌmis-ᵊn-ˈtər-prət How to pronounce misinterpret (audio)
-pət
: to understand or explain wrongly
misinterpretation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on misinterpret

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