misperception

noun

mis·​per·​cep·​tion ˌmis-pər-ˈsēp-shən 

plural misperceptions

: a false or inaccurate perception

… a host of misperceptions about the '50s, including the skewed notion that women didn't work in the 1950s, especially if they were mothers. Even in the '50s, one-fifth of mothers had paying jobs.

—Jeff Reid

Examples of misperception in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Unhoused people often migrate to cities where services like shelters, soup kitchens and outreach are grouped, officials say, leading to the misperception that homelessness is a city problem. —Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 19 Jan. 2026

Our model shows that correcting this misperception roughly doubles the public-health benefit of authorization alone. —Kevin Bardosh, Baltimore Sun, 18 Jan. 2026

No Way Home, and the misperception that the sequel actually opened under projections. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 2 Jan. 2026

Sands said there’s also been a public misperception that the inspectors are new hires whose only job duty is performing the inspections. —David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1722, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for misperception

• apperception
• contraception
• interception
• misconception
• preconception
• conception
• deception
• exception
• inception
• perception
• reception
• intussusception

Medical Definition

misperception

noun

mis·​per·​cep·​tion ˌmis-pər-ˈsep-shən 

: a false perception