To understand or explain something incorrectly, giving it a wrong meaning or significance.
Formed by adding the prefix 'mis-' (wrongly) to 'interpret,' which comes from Latin 'interpretari' meaning 'to explain' or 'translate between.' The concept emphasizes faulty mediation of meaning.
Misinterpretation is often more revealing about the interpreter than the original message! What we 'mishear' or 'misread' frequently reflects our own biases, fears, or expectations more than any ambiguity in the source.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.