Standard Lemma guide

misinterpretation

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: M IH0 S IH0 N T ER2 P R AH0 T EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An instance of misinterpreting.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

putting the wrong interpretation on

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his misinterpretation of the question caused his error
  • there was no mistaking her meaning

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: misunderstanding, mistaking

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: interpretation

Narrower terms: imbroglio, misconstrual, misconstruction, misreading

History

Etymology

From mis- + interpretation or misinterpret + -ation.

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: dezinterpretace — instance of misinterpreting
  • French: contresens — instance of misinterpreting
  • Galician: malinterpretación — instance of misinterpreting
  • German: Fehlinterpretation — instance of misinterpreting
  • Irish: míchiall — instance of misinterpreting
  • Italian: fraintendimento — instance of misinterpreting
  • Norwegian Bokmål: feiltolkning — instance of misinterpreting
  • Polish: błędna interpretacja — instance of misinterpreting
  • Russian: неправильное истолкова́ние (nepravilʹnoje istolkovánije) — instance of misinterpreting
  • Russian: неправильное толкова́ние (nepravilʹnoje tolkovánije) — instance of misinterpreting
  • Russian: неправильное понима́ние (nepravilʹnoje ponimánije) — instance of misinterpreting
  • Scottish Gaelic: mì-bhreithneachadh — instance of misinterpreting
  • Spanish: malinterpretación — instance of misinterpreting
  • Swedish: feltolkning — instance of misinterpreting
  • Swedish: misstolkning — instance of misinterpreting