as in delusion
a false idea or belief
the common misbelief that the Great Wall of China is visible from the moon
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Recent Examples of misbelief
Age Does Not Equate to a Rheumatic Disease Diagnosis
While a lot of rheumatic conditions are related to age, there is another misbelief that these conditions mostly affect older people and, as a result, are a product of getting older.
—
Chloe Castleberry, Flow Space, 7 July 2025
Her Daddy discourse is the misbelief that Harris (or any woman running for office) inherently has women’s votes in the bag and, thus, that candidate should spend their time on voters who are more on the fence.
—Brea Baker, refinery29.com, 9 Oct. 2024
Combating misbelief is much more complicated—and politically and ethically fraught—than reducing the spread of explicitly false content.
—Jennifer Allen, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2024
Other misbeliefs and myths circulate: Some families believe that if a mother eats eggs during pregnancy that can bring on autism, and that boys typically miss developmental milestones so there shouldn't be a need to consult a physician in such cases.
—Scovian Lillian, NPR, 26 Feb. 2024
Wolter says the project has started to engage with human populations near vulture colonies, roosting sites and popular foraging areas, to educate communities on the benefits of the animal to local ecology, and dispel popular misbeliefs.
—Gertrude Kitongo, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024
One common misbelief heard when legislation is discussed is that gender-affirming medical interventions are provided immediately to any trans or nonbinary kid who walks into a gender clinic.
—Helen Santoro, CBS News, 27 June 2023
Chloe Castleberry, Flow Space, 7 July 2025
Her Daddy discourse is the misbelief that Harris (or any woman running for office) inherently has women’s votes in the bag and, thus, that candidate should spend their time on voters who are more on the fence.
—Brea Baker, refinery29.com, 9 Oct. 2024
Combating misbelief is much more complicated—and politically and ethically fraught—than reducing the spread of explicitly false content.
—Jennifer Allen, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2024
Other misbeliefs and myths circulate: Some families believe that if a mother eats eggs during pregnancy that can bring on autism, and that boys typically miss developmental milestones so there shouldn't be a need to consult a physician in such cases.
—Scovian Lillian, NPR, 26 Feb. 2024
Wolter says the project has started to engage with human populations near vulture colonies, roosting sites and popular foraging areas, to educate communities on the benefits of the animal to local ecology, and dispel popular misbeliefs.
—Gertrude Kitongo, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024
One common misbelief heard when legislation is discussed is that gender-affirming medical interventions are provided immediately to any trans or nonbinary kid who walks into a gender clinic.
—Helen Santoro, CBS News, 27 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misbelief
Noun
-
Lying in this crypt is Nathan Lane’s Willy Loman, a tragic humbug, his delusions contradicted by the ruins around him.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
-
His delusion is central to why this revival is so potent.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Originality is a comforting myth.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Common myths, such as opening windows or hiding in a southwest corner, are false and can increase danger.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Yet technology experts warn that outsourcing key decisions to AI exposes consumers to risks, potentially leading to communications errors and costing people money, while also potentially handing hackers the keys to their data.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Nurses at the hospital continue to report staffing issues and high turnover rates while saying medication errors and delays in patient care are continuing to occur.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And in the enfacement illusion, people can momentarily experience another face as their own.—
Utkarsh Gupta,
Scientific American,
15 Apr. 2026
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So there was the illusion of security in the Gulf.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There’s a common misconception that entropy, at a fundamental level, is synonymous with the concept of disorder.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
9 Apr. 2026
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Assessments should determine student’s learning in real time, and the results should be used to guide future instruction and develop realistic plans to address misconceptions and errors.—
Opinion Staff,
Oc Register,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misbelief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misbelief. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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