misinterpretation
noun
mis·in·ter·pre·ta·tion
ˌmi-sᵊn-ˌtər-prə-ˈtā-shən 
-pə-
plural misinterpretations
: failure to understand or interpret something correctly
an error caused by misinterpretation of the rules
: a mistaken interpretation
… it soon becomes obvious to workers in the field that misunderstandings and misinterpretations of conventional terms seriously interfere with scholarly communication.—
Juergan Eichhoff
Juergan EichhoffExamples of misinterpretation in a Sentence
his misinterpretation of the ambiguously worded instructions was hardly his fault
Recent Examples on the Web
Watch out for misinterpretations of emotions and feelings of inadequacy.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 14 Oct. 2025
McGregor recognizes that the work of translating between Western science and TEK is critical in certain contexts and applications, while there has also been significant cooption and misinterpretation.
—JSTOR Daily, 11 Oct. 2025
Robinson and Kanin actually have come up with an extremely quirky, often nerve-racking and occasionally gross depiction of 2025 as a time when clear communication is being replaced by misdirection, misinterpretation, AI customer service chats and a pervasive sense of loneliness.
—Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Campus protesters in the United States unwisely adopted slogans that were open to misinterpretation.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misinterpretation
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Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 14 Oct. 2025
McGregor recognizes that the work of translating between Western science and TEK is critical in certain contexts and applications, while there has also been significant cooption and misinterpretation.
—JSTOR Daily, 11 Oct. 2025
Robinson and Kanin actually have come up with an extremely quirky, often nerve-racking and occasionally gross depiction of 2025 as a time when clear communication is being replaced by misdirection, misinterpretation, AI customer service chats and a pervasive sense of loneliness.
—Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Campus protesters in the United States unwisely adopted slogans that were open to misinterpretation.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misinterpretation
Cite this Entry
“Misinterpretation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misinterpretation. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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