misinterpret

verb

mis·​in·​ter·​pret ˌmi-sᵊn-ˈtər-prət How to pronounce misinterpret (audio)
-pət
misinterpreted; misinterpreting; misinterprets

transitive verb

1
: to explain wrongly
His comment on the speech misinterprets the speaker's meaning.
2
: to understand wrongly
Her silence should not be misinterpreted as consent.

Examples of misinterpret in a Sentence

He claims that his statements have been misinterpreted by the media. Her silence should not be misinterpreted as consent.
Recent Examples on the Web Inspectors could also misinterpret or overlook critical details due to human error. David Tobias, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024 Cultural differences like a patient’s accent or dialect can be completely overlooked or misinterpreted by an AI transcription service. Renée Onque, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2024 The federal government has a responsibility to ensure that AI does not distort or misinterpret anyone’s words. Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Orange County Register, 4 Oct. 2024 Tao: That initial wording went viral, but it got misinterpreted. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for misinterpret 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misinterpret.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misinterpret was in 1547

Dictionary Entries Near misinterpret

Cite this Entry

“Misinterpret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misinterpret. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

misinterpret

verb
mis·​in·​ter·​pret ˌmis-ᵊn-ˈtər-prət How to pronounce misinterpret (audio)
-pət
: to understand or explain wrongly
misinterpretation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on misinterpret

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