misinterpret

verb

mis·​in·​ter·​pret ˌmi-sᵊn-ˈtər-prət How to pronounce misinterpret (audio)
-pət
misinterpreted; misinterpreting; misinterprets
Synonyms of misinterpretnext

transitive verb

1
: to explain wrongly
His comment on the speech misinterprets the speaker's meaning.
2
: to understand wrongly
Her silence should not be misinterpreted as consent.

Synonyms

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Examples of misinterpret in a Sentence

He claims that his statements have been misinterpreted by the media. Her silence should not be misinterpreted as consent.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Likewise, generative AI might have misinterpreted my prompt and improperly laid out what needed to be done. — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025 The district denied the allegations in a statement, saying the issue has been misinterpreted. — Jackson Walker, Baltimore Sun, 24 Jan. 2025 The county-wide message sent to Angelenos included many of these details but lacked the location specificity, allowing it to be easily misinterpreted by the broader audience. — Colleen Hagerty, Rolling Stone, 18 Jan. 2025 The conspiracy theory was started after people misinterpreted emails from the account of John Podesta, the chairman of Mrs. Clinton’s campaign, that were released by WikiLeaks. — Hank Sanders, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for misinterpret

Word History

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misinterpret was in 1547

Rhymes for misinterpret

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Browse Nearby Words

misinterpret
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Cite this Entry

“Misinterpret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misinterpret. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

misinterpret

verb
mis·​in·​ter·​pret ˌmis-ᵊn-ˈtər-prət How to pronounce misinterpret (audio)
-pət
: to understand or explain wrongly
misinterpretation
-ˌtər-prə-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce misinterpret (audio)
-pə-ˈtā-
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on misinterpret

Nglish: Translation of misinterpret for Spanish Speakers

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