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
Juergan EichhoffExamples of misinterpretation in a Sentence
his misinterpretation of the ambiguously worded instructions was hardly his fault
Recent Examples on the Web
Press junkets came with loaded questions about his background, early websites were devoted to hating Jar Jar, and there were misinterpretations about the character's intentions.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 13 July 2025
Simple terms also leave less room for mistakes and misinterpretation.
—Adrian Dearnell, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
If a robot’s misinterpretation of data causes a surgical error, for example, is the surgeon at fault for not intervening, or does the blame lie with the technology providers?
—IEEE Spectrum, 21 May 2025
Coupled with significant variations depending on the therapeutic area, the drug being tested or the study goals, there are numerous potential points of failure and opportunities for misinterpretation.
—Martin Snyder, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for misinterpretation
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Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 13 July 2025
Simple terms also leave less room for mistakes and misinterpretation.
—Adrian Dearnell, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
If a robot’s misinterpretation of data causes a surgical error, for example, is the surgeon at fault for not intervening, or does the blame lie with the technology providers?
—IEEE Spectrum, 21 May 2025
Coupled with significant variations depending on the therapeutic area, the drug being tested or the study goals, there are numerous potential points of failure and opportunities for misinterpretation.
—Martin Snyder, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for misinterpretation
Cite this Entry
“Misinterpretation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misinterpretation. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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