misinterpretation
Getting it wrong
Misinterpretation is understanding something incorrectly—taking a meaning other than what was intended or what the evidence supports.
A misinterpretation of someone's words might cause offense where none was meant.
A misinterpretation of data leads to faulty conclusions.
The whole argument rested on a misinterpretation of the contract.
Incorrect interpretation of text
- misconstructionIncorrect understanding of meaning
- misunderstandingFailure to grasp meaning
- misconstrualFaulty understanding of meaning
- misjudgmentFaulty evaluation of something
misapprehension · mistake · blunder · oversight · inaccuracy · slip · mix-up · miscalculation
Erroneous belief or understanding
- misbeliefFalse notion held true
- fallacyError in reasoning
- mythTraditional explanatory tale
- illusionMisleading sensory impression
delusion · false assumption · wrong idea · prejudice · stereotype · superstition · oversimplification · preconception
Openness to multiple interpretations
- miscommunicationFailed exchange of meaning
- misconnectionErroneous joining of parts
- cross-purposesContradictory objectives
- mixed signalsContradictory indications from someone
vagueness · equivocation · uncertainty · muddle · opacity · lost in translation · double meaning · garbled message
False or misleading statement
- twistingRotating with distortion
- skewingCausing asymmetrical distortion
- warpingBecoming bent or twisted
- spinRapid rotation around axis
slant · bias · manipulation · exaggeration · sensationalism · caricature · misreporting · misstatement
Incorrectly applied designation
- mislabelingIncorrect identification marking
- mischaracterizationDescribing something inaccurately
- miscallingNaming something incorrectly
- malapropismSound-alike word confusion
misreading
Incorrect interpretation of text
- misconstructionIncorrect understanding of meaning
- misunderstandingFailure to grasp meaning
- misconstrualFaulty understanding of meaning
misjudgment · misapprehension · mistake · blunder · oversight · inaccuracy · slip · mix-up · miscalculation · misreckoning
misconception
Erroneous belief or understanding
illusion · delusion · false assumption · wrong idea · prejudice · stereotype · superstition · oversimplification · preconception · faulty reasoning
ambiguity
Openness to multiple interpretations
- miscommunicationFailed exchange of meaning
- misconnectionErroneous joining of parts
- cross-purposesContradictory objectives
mixed signals · vagueness · equivocation · uncertainty · muddle · opacity · lost in translation · double meaning · garbled message
misrepresentation
False or misleading statement
- twistingRotating with distortion
- skewingCausing asymmetrical distortion
- warpingBecoming bent or twisted
spin · slant · bias · manipulation · exaggeration · sensationalism · caricature · misreporting · misstatement · misquotation
misnomer
Incorrectly applied designation
- mislabelingIncorrect identification marking
- mischaracterizationDescribing something inaccurately
- miscallingNaming something incorrectly
malapropism · misapplication · misidentification · false label
- miscommunicationmix-up, mixed signals, confusion, mixed messages, crossed wires
- misjudgmentsmisjudgment, mistake, error, blunder, miscalculation
- misunderstandingsmisunderstanding, misconception, misreading, miscommunication, confusion
- lab errorscalculation error, measurement error, human error, mislabeling, cross-contamination
- errorserror, mistake, blunder, blunders, fault
- communication failsmisunderstanding, autocorrect fail, typo, wrong number, reply all
misinterpretationcomprehension
Mental understanding of meaning
understanding · grasp · apprehension · appreciation · grokking
misinterpretationcorrection
Fixing of mistakes
clarification · clarity · scrutiny · elucidation · illumination