misinform

[ mis-in-fawrm ]

verb (used with object)

1. to give false or misleading information to.

   Synonyms: misdirect, mislead

misinform

/ ˌmɪsɪnfəˈmeɪʃən; ˌmɪsɪnˈfɔːm /

verb

1. tr to give incorrect information to

Derived Forms

• ˌmisinˈformant, noun
• misinformation, noun

Other Words From

• misin·formant misin·former noun
• misin·forma·tive adjective
• mis·in·for·ma·tion [mis-in-fer-, mey, -sh, uh, n], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of misinform¹

First recorded in 1350–1400, misinform is from the Middle English word misenfourmen. See mis- ¹, inform ¹

Example Sentences

While it may feel better to think of Trump supporters as misinformed rather than hateful, the downside is that an un-informed public cannot sustain a freely elected democracy.

From Salon

“It makes no sense whatsoever to prejudge the election outcome. And that is a misinformed view of what is happening on the ground in North Carolina, bless his heart,” McHenry said.

From Salon

Having failed to learn from history, he’s poised to repeat its sorriest sagas, in the service of his ignorant, misinformed prejudices.

From Los Angeles Times

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement response to a request from a Texas congressman informed — or misinformed — many of the latest claims of a connection between immigration and violent crime.

From Los Angeles Times

He genuinely believed, because he'd been misinformed by his security and intelligence services, that it would all be over in a week or two.

From Salon

Related Words

• deceive
• misguide
• mislead

Misinform Vs. Disinform

What's the difference between misinform and disinform?

To misinform someone is to provide them with false information, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is being done intentionally. Disinform, which is much less commonly used, means to intentionally provide or spread false information with the intent to mislead or deceive.

This distinction can also be seen in the difference between their verb forms, misinformation and disinformation. Misinformation refers to false information, regardless of whether or not it’s intended to mislead or deceive people. In contrast, disinformation refers to false information that’s spread with the specific intent of misleading or deceiving people.

Due to their similarity, the terms are sometimes used in overlapping ways. All disinformation is misinformation, but not all misinformation is disinformation. Disinformation is the more specific of the two because it always implies that the false information is being provided or spread on purpose.

Disinform and disinformation are especially used in the context of large-scale deception, such as a disinformation campaign by a government that targets the population of another country.

On the other hand, a person can intentionally misinform someone, but they could also misinform someone by telling them false information that they believe to be true. The adjective misinformed can be used to describe people who have been the recipient of misinformation.

One way to remember the difference between misinform and disinform is to remember that to misinform can be a mistake, while to disinform is always dishonest.

Here’s an example of misinform and disinform used correctly in a sentence.

Example: The intelligence report concluded that the rumors spread prior to the election were not simply the result of a few random people misinforming others, but rather of a coordinated campaign by a foreign power to disinform the electorate.

Want to learn more? Read the breakdown of the difference between misinformation and disinformation.

Quiz yourself on misinform vs. disinform!

Should misinform or disinform be used in the following sentence?

We can’t publish this information until it’s confirmed—we don’t want to _____ the public.