misconstruction

[ mis-kuhn-struhk-shuhn ]

noun

1. wrong construction; misinterpretation:

   to put a misconstruction upon an action.

2. an act or instance of misconstruing.

Word History and Origins

Origin of misconstruction¹

First recorded in 1505–15; mis- ¹ + construction

Example Sentences

But the venture of projecting an album into the future — especially one centered on climate catastrophe — can face its own set of preconceived expectations that can lead to misconstruction.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump's proclamation was a "clear misconstruction" of a law intended to liberalize trade, and "constituted an action outside the President's delegated authority," Katzmann wrote.

From Reuters

The three-judge panel said “the central operative terms” of the Trump rule “hinged on a fundamental misconstruction” of the Clean Air Act.

From Washington Post

The Trump administration had cited a “fundamental misconstruction” of the Clean Air Act in carrying out the rollback, the U.S.

From Seattle Times

Yale historian Matthew Frye Jacobson told the Times, in a story that was otherwise a whitewash of Lukianoff’s FIRE, that the organization’s spin and the media coverage were “a complete misconstruction of what happened.”

From Salon

Related Words

• confusion
• error
• misconception
• misinterpretation
• misjudgment
• mistake
• mix up