misinterpretation

noun

mis·​in·​ter·​pre·​ta·​tion ˌmi-sᵊn-ˌtər-prə-ˈtā-shən 

-pə-

plural misinterpretations

: failure to understand or interpret something correctly

an error caused by misinterpretation of the rules

: a mistaken interpretation

… it soon becomes obvious to workers in the field that misunderstandings and misinterpretations of conventional terms seriously interfere with scholarly communication.

—Juergan Eichhoff

Synonyms

• incomprehension
• misapprehension
• misconstruction
• misconstruing
• misimpression
• misknowledge
• misreading
• misunderstanding

Examples of misinterpretation in a Sentence

his misinterpretation of the ambiguously worded instructions was hardly his fault

Recent Examples on the Web

With wildfires continuing to wreak havoc on Southern California, Chuck D is denouncing a gross misinterpretation of his work. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 12 Jan. 2025

Basharat Saleem, executive director of the Islamic Society of North America, a nonprofit organization, told CBS News that many of Jabbar's statements in the recordings reflect a misinterpretation of Islamic law. —Rhona Tarrant, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2025

So the excessive resort to violence of all kinds, plus misinterpretation of biblical scriptures are two of the generic causes. —Marianne Schnall, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024

Familiarity, while comforting, can also lead to unintended consequences like complacency, misinterpretation or a diminished sense of novelty in the relationship. —Mark Travers, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined above