mischaracterize

verb

mis·​char·​ac·​ter·​ize ˌmis-ˈker-ik-tə-ˌrīz How to pronounce mischaracterize (audio)
-ˈka-rik-
mischaracterized; mischaracterizing

transitive verb

: to characterize (someone or something) wrongly
mischaracterized his position on the issue
In many cases, the problems that the news media, activists, and politicians hype are real enough; however they are frequently greatly exaggerated and mischaracterizedBenjamin Radford

Examples of mischaracterize in a Sentence

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.
In the May 21 print edition's Page 2A, a story mischaracterized the landing gear of the plane in the Toronto airport crash. Usa Today, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2025 Correction, March 29 The original version of this story mischaracterized Columbia University’s latest admissions data. Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 28 Mar. 2025 The president—then the 2024 Republican candidate—responded by mischaracterizing an Alabama supreme court case in which the court ruled that frozen embryos created via IVF are considered children under state law, meaning people could theoretically be sued for destroying them. Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025 Attributing the information to The Times — but without linking to our story — the X user grossly mischaracterized our reporting, misstating the facts in an effort to lionize Trump. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mischaracterize

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mischaracterize was in 1798

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Cite this Entry

“Mischaracterize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mischaracterize. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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