misinformation
/ˌmɪs.ɪn.fəˈmeɪ.ʃən/
misinformation means information that is incorrect, whether intentionally or unintentionally. It carries an Arena rating of 1258, earned across 6 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, misinformation ranks #1,774 of 13,217 for Most Malleable Words, #2,514 of 13,217 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #4,273 of 13,217 for Most Incisive Words, #6,283 of 13,217 for Most Ponderous Words.
misinformation is pronounced /ˌmɪs.ɪn.fəˈmeɪ.ʃən/.
Why “misinformation” is a great word
False or inaccurate information, disseminated irrespective of intent. From the English prefix mis- (“badly, wrongly”) + information (“facts or knowledge provided”), formed within English; first attested in the 1660s. Unlike disinformation, a poisoned arrow shot with deliberate deceit, or malinformation, the weaponization of a true secret, misinformation is a fog—unmoored, often accidental, drifting into the gaps of understanding. It is the family rumor ossified into fact over decades, the innocently shared graphic with implausible statistics, the half-remembered headline that shapes a worldview; it is the quiet tragedy of error, passed hand to hand with the best of intentions, until the map no longer resembles the territory.
Etymology
From mis- + information.
noun
- Information that is incorrect, whether intentionally or unintentionally.“spread misinformation on the internet”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.