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misinterpret

verb mis·in·ter·pret \ ˌmi-sᵊn-ˈtər-prət , -pət \
|Updated on: 11 Jul 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

  1. He claims that his statements have been misinterpreted by the media.

  2. Her silence should not be misinterpreted as consent.

Recent Examples of misinterpret from the Web

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

See Words from the same year
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misinterpret Synonyms

Synonyms

misapprehend, misconstrue, misperceive, misread, miss, mistake, misunderstand;

Antonyms

appreciate, apprehend, catch, comprehend, conceive, fathom, get, grasp, know, make out, penetrate, perceive, see, seize, take in, understand;

Related Words

misconceive, misjudge;

mishear;

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

Learn More about misinterpret

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

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