misinterpret

verb

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

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.

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.
Whether that’s sending a message to the wrong person or having your words misinterpreted by others. Valerie Mesa, People.com, 15 Mar. 2025 Most Canadians want uncomplicated lives, a desire for calm that can be misinterpreted by louder people as meekness. Chris Jones, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025 Early algorithms trained predominantly on male speech patterns often misinterpreted women's voices, frustrating users, delaying adoption, and resulting in expensive product fixes. Committee Of 200, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025 Younger employees, in particular, are more likely to misinterpret positive messages as negative, even when the sender gets the tone right. Julia Korn, Forbes, 11 Mar. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Misinterpret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misinterpret. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

misinterpret

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

More from Merriam-Webster on misinterpret

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!