mischaracterize

verb

mis·​char·​ac·​ter·​ize ˌmis-ˈker-ik-tə-ˌrīz How to pronounce mischaracterize (audio)
-ˈka-rik-
mischaracterized; mischaracterizing

transitive verb

: to characterize (someone or something) wrongly
mischaracterized his position on the issue
In many cases, the problems that the news media, activists, and politicians hype are real enough; however they are frequently greatly exaggerated and mischaracterizedBenjamin Radford

Examples of mischaracterize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Baldoni and his publicists have countered that Lively defamed them by taking text messages out of context and mischaracterizing their interactions. William Earl, Variety, 30 Jan. 2025 Both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and President-elect Donald Trump often presented distorted views of the health of the labor market, with the Democratic angle largely focusing solely on headline labor market growth and Trump mischaracterizing the gains solely as a pandemic rebound. Derek Saul, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025 Vought said Hassan was mischaracterizing his position on respecting the need to keep the government open. Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2025 But the host was upset to find Republican leaders, including Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and current House Speaker Mike Johnson, dismissing and mischaracterizing what Trump said. Hilary Lewis, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mischaracterize 

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mischaracterize was in 1798

Dictionary Entries Near mischaracterize

Cite this Entry

“Mischaracterize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mischaracterize. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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