MISAPPREHENSION Synonyms: 51 Similar and Opposite Words

misapprehension

noun

Definition of misapprehension

as in misunderstanding

a failure to understand correctly tried to eliminate all misapprehensions about the planned riverfront development

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in mistake

a wrong judgment a common misapprehension about how our language functions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of misapprehension This, too, was a kind of misapprehension, in that his boss admired him for being so upbeat despite living in such a family when in fact Shigejiro had no individuality at all. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 The risk with any attempt to explain religion to a secular audience is playing into the misapprehension that American Christianity is monolithic. — Meghan O’Gieblyn, The New York Review of Books, 11 July 2026 Meanwhile, the New Atheists were making hay of the fact that such faithful misapprehensions about nature were easily disproved by scientific discovery. — Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026 After a decade or so of making various iterations of her table and shelf works, Bove began to tire of the recurring misapprehension that viewers need to read every book and explore in depth every reference on display in order to understand the work. — Gordon Hughes, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026 Ronald Reagan did not suffer from such misapprehensions. — Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025 But Elon Musk’s chatbot Grok, meanwhile, was under a similar misapprehension. — Emma Woollacott, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for misapprehension

Noun

That tension may stem from a fundamental misunderstanding of intent, according to Grimaldi, creator and editor-in-chief of online lifestyle magazine The Zillennial Zine.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
McKinney thinks Roy’s emphasis on fighting Trump speaks to a misunderstanding of the job.

— James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of misunderstanding

Noun

And if so, did Democrats make a mistake by not investing earlier?

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Tampa Bay, which won the AL pennant by forcing opponents into mistakes, committed one error, made two other misplays that could have been charged as errors and had a runner thrown out at the plate.

— Ronald Blum, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of mistake

Browse Nearby Words

misapprehends

misapprehension

misapprehensions

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Misapprehension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misapprehension. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of misapprehension

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes