misapprehension

M3I1S1A1P3P3R1E1H4E1N1S1I1O1N1

noun

A failure to understand something; an illusion, misconception, or misunderstanding.

“Near-synonyms: misperception, miscomprehension”

Similar
misperceptionmiscomprehensionwrong numbermistakemisunderstanding
OriginEnglish apprehension ← Middle English mys- ← Old English mis- →
UncommonScrabble 24
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Meanings

nounmisapprehension (countable and uncountable, plural misapprehensions)

plural misapprehensions

  1. countableuncountableA failure to understand something; an illusion, misconception, or misunderstanding.

    Near-synonyms: misperception, miscomprehension

    1 more example

    They had thought it obsolete, but, were relieved of this misapprehension by Yule’s friend Major Trotter.

    2014, James Lambert, “A Much Tortured Expression: A New Look At `Hobson-Jobson'”, in International Journal of Lexicography, volume 27, number 1, page 57

    Synonyms: misperception, miscomprehension, wrong number

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA failure to understand something; an illusion, misconception, or misunderstanding.

Similar
misperceptionmiscomprehensionwrong number

More synonyms by meaning

nounan understanding of something that is not correct

Similar
mistakemisunderstanding
Broader
misconception
Also see
counterfactualillusionmisappreciationmistakemisunderstandingwrong number

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

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. Englishapprehension
  10. Englishmisapprehension

From mis- + apprehension.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian недоразумение
  • недоразумение (nedorazumenie)a failure to understand something
German Irrtum, Missverständnis
  • Irrtuma failure to understand something
  • Missverständnisa failure to understand something
  • Fehlauffassunga failure to understand something
  • Verkennunga failure to understand something
Hungarian félreértés
  • félreértésa failure to understand something
Ukrainian непорозумі́ння
  • непорозумі́ння (neporozumínnja)a failure to understand something
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: misapprehension on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.