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

The Correct the Map campaign, endorsed by the African Union, advocates for this map projection to help counteract misperceptions fed by projections like the Mercator map. — Jewel Bright, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026

And when those misperceptions are corrected, willingness to engage goes up. — Anandita Sabherwal, Time, 3 Aug. 2026

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. — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2026

Suzanne’s ungenerous view of herself is one of many misperceptions that will be overturned—some gently, some not. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 May 2026

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