mis-sell

verb

To sell misleadingly, fraudulently, or in violation of laws or regulations.

“The firm is defending itself against fresh allegations of mis-selling pensions.”

OriginEnglish sell ← Middle English mys- ← Old English mis- →
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Meanings

verbmis-sell (third-person singular simple present mis-sells, present participle mis-selling, simple past and past participle mis-sold)

present singular third person mis-sells · participle present mis-selling · participle past mis-sold · past mis-sold

  1. UKbusinessTo sell misleadingly, fraudulently, or in violation of laws or regulations.

    The firm is defending itself against fresh allegations of mis-selling pensions.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*mey-?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*meyth₂-
  3. Proto-Germanic*missaz
  4. Proto-Germanic*missa-
  5. Proto-West Germanic*missa-
  6. Old Englishmis-
  7. Middle Englishmys-
  8. Englishmis-
  9. Englishsell
  10. Englishmis-sell

From mis- + sell.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

mis-sell. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mis-sell

MLA

“mis-sell.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mis-sell. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mis-sell,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mis-sell.

Source: mis-sell on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.