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
The other problematic element of this Call 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
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
Lilith Fair also helped contribute to the misbelief that music made by women had to be personal, had to be polite, and had to include an acoustic guitar.
—Peter Rubin, Longreads, 1 July 2022
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
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
Lilith Fair also helped contribute to the misbelief that music made by women had to be personal, had to be polite, and had to include an acoustic guitar.
—Peter Rubin, Longreads, 1 July 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misbelief
Noun
-
Although she was never formally diagnosed, E.A. believes Lewes may have experienced bipolar disorder, marked by episodes of extreme paranoia and delusions, which became more frequent as time went on.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
5 June 2025
-
Valerie often allowed her vanity and delusion to stand in her way, but also has a certain purity in her desire for mainstream success; viewers on the show’s wavelength might alternately cringe, laugh and feel deeply for her over the course of just a few minutes.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
5 June 2025
Noun
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The myth had inspired many works by Old Masters, including several paintings by Titian.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
-
The line between the reality and the myth becomes blurred, and this confusion continues to harm women, especially those who are isolated and silenced.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
8 June 2025
Noun
-
The government has admitted in court that his deportation was an administrative error.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
7 June 2025
-
There are of course factual errors that can be made on property value assessments, officials say.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2025
Noun
-
High ceilings, tall doors, oversized windows, and a herringbone parquet floor with oversized proportions were also key to creating the illusion of extra space.—
Mailin Sophie Zieser,
Architectural Digest,
7 June 2025
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While there is a warming and cooling sensation associated with these products, the ingredients act on nerve endings to create an illusion of hot and cold.—
Novant Health,
Charlotte Observer,
6 June 2025
Noun
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At the root of the underinvestment problem is a lingering misconception that women’s health is synonymous with reproductive health.—
Geri Stengel,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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There seems to be a misconception among our political leaders that civic engagement is purely intuitive, that people fired up by a speech will somehow find their way to a city council meeting, a ballot initiative, a local organization’s strategy session.—
Adam Met,
Time,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
As far as superstitions go, this was a serious one.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
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Perhaps Faust reverting back to his old superstitions helped, too.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
17 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Misbelief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misbelief. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
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