misunderstanding

noun mis·un·der·stand·ing

Definition of misunderstanding

1 :a failure to understand :misinterpretation

The instructions were carefully written to prevent misunderstanding.

2 :quarrel, disagreement

an unfortunate misunderstanding between two old friends

See misunderstanding defined for English-language learners

See misunderstanding defined for kids

Examples of misunderstanding in a Sentence

The instructions are carefully written in order to avoid misunderstanding.
Her comments reflect a misunderstanding of the basic problem.
using clear language to avoid misunderstandings
an unfortunate misunderstanding between old friends
We had our little misunderstandings in the past but we managed to clear them up long ago.

Recent Examples of misunderstanding from the Web

A combination of the two services could eliminate any misunderstanding by users about what the two services offer.

— jonathan vanian, Fortune, "Google Play Music and YouTube Red May Merge," 27 July 2017
One former Justice Department official said the president’s anger seems to stem from a misunderstanding about how the department actually works.

— philip rucker, Washington Post, "The standoff between Trump and Sessions escalates," 25 July 2017
Walls unpacks the most common misunderstanding about Thoreau at Walden Pond.

— tom montgomery fate, chicagotribune.com, "Happy 200th Henry David Thoreau: New bio reframes naturalist, activist and philosopher," 5 July 2017
Dare County officials say the hubbub is all a misunderstanding.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "Outer Banks vs. outer space — must a UFO house meet NC’s earthly building codes?," 5 July 2017
Seth Crossno, a North Carolina blogger, thought there was a misunderstanding.

— bryan burrough, The Hive, "Fyre Festival: Anatomy of a Millennial Marketing Fiasco Waiting to Happen," 4 July 2017
But that a misunderstanding of flexibility! Companies get more out of an employee—

— wendy naugle, Glamour, "How to Get Your Boss to Say Yes to Flex-Time," 30 June 2017
The lawsuit also alleges that the yacht club did in fact initially cancel the race due to the storm, contrary to Garner’s claim about a misunderstanding about the scratch sheet, but that the organizers reversed their decision.

— brian schutmaat, Smithsonian, "Racing the Storm: The Story of the Mobile Bay Sailing Disaster," 29 June 2017
Still, Diana isn’t written as a straightforward victim of Charles’s misunderstanding.

— vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, "Expect Plenty of Diana and Prince Charles Gossip from Camilla’s Biography," 26 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'misunderstanding.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.