misinformation en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˌmɪs.ɪn.fəˈmæɪ.ʃən/ (Australia)
- /ˌmɪs.ɪn.fɚˈmeɪ.ʃən/ (Canada, General-American)
- (US) audio
- /ˌmɪs.ɪn.fəˈmeɪ.ʃən/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mey-? Proto-Indo-European *meyth₂-der. Proto-Germanic *missaz Proto-Germanic *missa- Proto-West Germanic *missa- Old English mis- Middle English mys- English mis- Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Italic *en Proto-Italic *en- Latin in- Ancient Greek μορφή (morphḗ)der.? Latin fōrma Latin fōrmō Latin īnfōrmō Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Late Latin īnfōrmātiōder. Middle English enformacioun English information English misinformation From mis- + information.
Meanings
-
(uncountable) Information that is incorrect, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
Online ticketing retailer TrainPal has been criticised for a marketing campaign which used fake social media profiles to spread misinformation.
2025 November 12, Daniel Puddicombe, “TrainPal criticised for campaign using "inappropriate form of marketing"”, in RAIL, number 1048, page 16:Mark Zuckerberg said he regretted dismissing concerns about the Facebook’s role in influencing the US presidential race, his latest acknowledgement that misinformation on the platform has affected elections.
2017 September 28, Sam Levin, “Mark Zuckerberg: I regret ridiculing fears over Facebook's effect on election”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 27 Feb 2025:The Panther Moderns allowed four minutes for their first move to take effect, then injected a second carefully prepared dose of misinformation.
1984, William Gibson, chapter 4, in Neuromancer (Sprawl; book 1), New York, N.Y.: Ace Books, →ISBN, page 62:As someone who studies the impact of misinformation on society, I often wish the young entrepreneurs of Silicon Valley who enabled communication at speed had been forced to run a 9/11 scenario with their technologies before they deployed them commercially.
2019 September 1, Claire Wardle, “Misinformation Has Created a New World Disorder”, in Scientific American, archived from the original on 01 Apr 2025:Liara: Although we seek to understand other species, it seems few of them seek to understand us. The galaxy is filled with rumors and misinformation about my people.
2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Normandy SR-1:spread misinformation on the internet
Framing everything as a grand conflict against scheming enemies can feel enormously reassuring. And that’s why perhaps the greatest culprit of our era of misinformation may be, more than any one particular misinformer, the era-defining rise in social polarization.
2021 May 7, Max Fisher, “‘Belonging Is Stronger Than Facts’: The Age of Misinformation”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 15 Aug 2021:Early news coverage of this incident on Sunday October 31/Monday November 1 was blighted by misinformation arising from an early Network Rail official statement and a leaked NR log, resulting in TV/radio news reports which were factually inaccurate in at least five fundamentals.
2021 November 17, Nigel Harris, “Network News: Leaked NR log and statement prompted media chaos”, in RAIL, number 944, page 6:My intent is not to criticize an unpublished biology paper, but only to demonstrate the ease with which misinformation can creep into popular literature.
1983, Richard Ellis, The Book of Sharks, Knopf, →ISBN, page 87:
Coordinates
malinformation · disinformation
Deriveds
mythinformation · misinfographic · misinformationist · misinformational
Relateds
misinformed · misinformant · fake news · misinformative · misinform
Synonyms
disinformation · inverity · pile of shit · rubbish · terminological inexactitude · yanker · fib · misinformation · falsity · load of bull · lie · cram · clanker · falsehood · leasing · falsedom · jive · untruth · mistruth · fabrication · whopper · flam · bollocks · fabrication · cap · goof · alternative fact · falsehood · nonsense · nontruth · lie · counterfactual · swack-up · porker · fib · counterfact · load of crap · inveracity · anti-fact · misinformation · wisker · falseness · prevarication · yed · porky · mendacity · untruism · chin · bullshit · load of shit · story · yed · hummer · pork pie · red flag · untruth · disinformation · pile of crap · hoax · falsification · tall tale · canard · misstatement · bluff · terminological inexactitude · invention · contradiction
Translations (20)
el παραπληροφόρηση (false information) · es información errónea (false information) · pt desinformação (false information) · gl desinformación (false information) · he מידע שגוי (false information) · ka დეზინფორმაცია (false information) · cmn 誤傳 /误传 (false information) · hu álhírterjesztés (false information) · es desinformación (false information) · es información falsa (false information) · ja 誤伝 (false information) · fi väärä tieto (false information) · hi दुष्प्रचार (false information) · hu félretájékoztatás (false information) · cmn 錯誤信息 /错误信息 (false information) · es mala información (false information) · ka მისინფორმაცია (false information) · hu téves/hibás/rossz értesülés (false information) · tpi toktok nating (false information) · hu téves/hibás/rossz/félrevezető tájékoztatás/információ (false information)