misidentification
Mistaking one for another
Misidentification is the act of identifying someone or something incorrectly: The witness's misidentification sent an innocent man to prison.
The term appears frequently in discussions of eyewitness testimony, where misidentification of suspects remains a leading cause of wrongful convictions.
It also covers mistaking one species, object, or phenomenon for another.
Ordered list of participants
- testimonySworn statement as evidence
- witnessOne who attests
- mugshotPolice identification photograph
- suspectBelieve to be likely
recognition · recall · memory · perception · suggestibility · alibi · cross-examination · wrongful conviction
Facts supporting truth
- specimenIndividual for examination
- remainsContinues in place
- autopsyMedical examination after death
- contaminationIntroduction of impurities
mislabeling · chain of custody · lab error · wrongful conviction · exoneration · DNA testing · crime scene · false positive
Incorrect identification of ailment
- symptomsIndicators of disease
- conditionState or stipulation
- diseaseDisorder impairing normal function
- differential diagnosisSystematic comparison of possible conditions
false positive · false negative · pathology · biopsy · imaging · lab results · patient · treatment
Friction ridge impression
- DNAHereditary code molecule
- facial recognitionAutomated identification by face
- authenticationConfirming genuine identity
- verificationProving something accurate
algorithm · scanner · database · error rate · false positive · iris scan · voiceprint · retinal scan
Stealing personal data criminally
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- impostorOne feigning another's identity
- doppelgangerSupernatural duplicate of oneself
- lookalikeOne who closely resembles another
alias · disguise · credentials · forgery · stolen identity · phishing · scam · catfishing
Science of categorical arrangement
- specimenIndividual for examination
- classificationSystematic grouping by traits
- floraPlants of a region
- faunaAnimal life collectively
invasive species · wildlife · field guide · morphology · biodiversity · naturalist · birdwatching · misclassification
lineup
Ordered list of participants
suspect · recognition · recall · memory · perception · suggestibility · alibi · cross-examination · wrongful conviction · exoneration
evidence
Facts supporting truth
contamination · mislabeling · chain of custody · lab error · wrongful conviction · exoneration · DNA testing · crime scene · false positive · forensic analysis
misdiagnosis
Incorrect identification of ailment
differential diagnosis · false positive · false negative · pathology · biopsy · imaging · lab results · patient · treatment · malpractice
fingerprint
Friction ridge impression
- DNAHereditary code molecule
- facial recognitionAutomated identification by face
- authenticationConfirming genuine identity
verification · algorithm · scanner · database · error rate · false positive · iris scan · voiceprint · retinal scan · biometrics
identity theft
Stealing personal data criminally
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- impostorOne feigning another's identity
- doppelgangerSupernatural duplicate of oneself
lookalike · alias · disguise · credentials · forgery · stolen identity · phishing · scam · catfishing · false pretenses
taxonomy
Science of categorical arrangement
- specimenIndividual for examination
- classificationSystematic grouping by traits
- floraPlants of a region
fauna · invasive species · wildlife · field guide · morphology · biodiversity · naturalist · birdwatching · misclassification · lookalike
- mix-upsmix-up, mistake, error, confusion, mix
- perception errorsmisperception, illusion, optical illusion, visual distortion, blind spot
- lab errorscalculation error, measurement error, human error, mislabeling, cross-contamination
- legal defensesself-defense, alibi, affirmative defense, insanity defense, insanity
- errorserror, mistake, blunder, blunders, fault
- injusticeinjustice, inequality, discrimination, bias, prejudice
identify, identified, identification, unidentified, identifying, de-identification, identifiable, identifier, unidentifiable