misstatement
Error in words
A misstatement is an incorrect or inaccurate assertion—something stated wrongly, whether by error or intent.
The word appears often in legal and financial contexts: The auditor found material misstatements in the company's records.
Unlike a lie, misstatement doesn't necessarily imply deliberate deception, though it can serve as a diplomatic way of calling something false.
Minor error or misstep
- blunderFoolish, costly mistake
- gaffeClumsy social error
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- mistakeWrong action or decision
inaccuracy · miscalculation · typo · flub · goof · blooper · misquote · misreport
Deliberate falsehood
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
- falsehoodDeliberate untrue statement
- falsificationDeliberate alteration of truth
- prevaricationMisleading speech avoiding directness
untruth · fib · deceit · dishonesty · disinformation · perjury · distortion · exaggeration
Criminal courtroom dishonesty
- defamationFalse statements harming reputation
- libelPrinted defamation
- slanderSpoken false defamation
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
testimony · deposition · affidavit · misrepresentation · witness · court record · filing · disclosure
Formal withdrawal of statement
- amendmentChange to official text
- rectificationAct of setting straight
- revisionAltering to improve
- clarificationMaking meaning plain
apology · recantation · disavowal · correction · erratum · corrigendum · redress · adjustment
slip
Minor error or misstep
mistake · inaccuracy · miscalculation · typo · flub · goof · blooper · misquote · misreport · misprint
lie
Deliberate falsehood
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
- falsehoodDeliberate untrue statement
- falsificationDeliberate alteration of truth
prevarication · untruth · fib · deceit · dishonesty · disinformation · perjury · distortion · exaggeration · misrepresentation
perjury
Criminal courtroom dishonesty
- defamationFalse statements harming reputation
- libelPrinted defamation
- slanderSpoken false defamation
fraud · testimony · deposition · affidavit · misrepresentation · witness · court record · filing · disclosure
retraction
Formal withdrawal of statement
- amendmentChange to official text
- rectificationAct of setting straight
- revisionAltering to improve
clarification · apology · recantation · disavowal · correction · erratum · corrigendum · redress · adjustment · modification
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- falsehoodslie, lies, lying, fib, fibbing
- Financial ScandalsEnron, Bernie Madoff, Ponzi scheme, insider trading, securities fraud
- Accounting Errorsoverstatement, omission, rounding error
- audit findingsdeficiency, exception, discrepancy, issue, weakness
- errorserror, mistake, blunder, blunders, fault