misinformation

[ mis-in-fer-mey-shuhn ]

noun

1. false information that is spread, regardless of whether there is intent to mislead:

   In the chaotic hours after the earthquake, a lot of misinformation was reported in the news.

Word History and Origins

Origin of misinformation¹

First recorded in 1580–90; mis- ¹( def ) + information ( def )

Example Sentences

Elon Musk has turned the former Twitter from a social media staple into a fount of misinformation.

From Los Angeles Times

Many people have not been paying attention to the movement that brought Trump to power, and may not be aware of the misinformation bubble that it has funded.

From Salon

Our friend Jeff Sharlet reacted by saying that Biden’s speech was misinformation: “A moderate- or low-information voter who tuned in to that, not sure what to think, would have come away thinking that the Democrats had lost to a Mitt Romney or a John McCain. They would take it as permission to tune out again till ’28.”

From Slate

Critics argue his changes have given prominence to hate-speech and misinformation - though he has argued the site is politically neutral.

From BBC

If Trump did not have any involvement in this escapade, Patrushev’s gambit shows—some would say, confirms—that Russia’s main goal, in all these misinformation ventures, is to sow chaos, breed mistrust, and weaken the sinews of democracy in Western countries, especially in the U.S., regardless of who is the president.

From Slate

Related Words

• falsity
• misreport
• misstatement