misidentify

M3I1S1I1D2E1N1T1I1F4Y4

verb

To mistake the identity of (something or someone).

Similar
mistake
OriginEnglish identify ← Middle English mys- ← Old English mis- →
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Meanings

verbmisidentify (third-person singular simple present misidentifies, present participle misidentifying, simple past and past participle misidentified)

present singular third person misidentifies · participle present misidentifying · participle past misidentified · past misidentified

  1. transitiveTo mistake the identity of (something or someone).

Synonyms & antonyms

verbidentify incorrectly

Similar
mistake
Broader
identify
Also see
mistake

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. Englishidentify
  10. Englishmisidentify

From mis- + identify.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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