Meanings
nounmistaken identity (countable and uncountable, plural mistaken identities)
plural mistaken identities
- countableuncountableA case of false belief that a certain individual is someone else.
The police arrested the wrong man; the media reported it as a case of mistaken identity.
- countableuncountablelawA defense in criminal law based on this situation, claiming that any eyewitnesses to a crime incorrectly thought that they saw the defendant.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 誤認身份 /误认身份, 認錯人 /认错人
- 誤認身份 /误认身份 (wùrèn shēnfèn)false belief that someone is someone else
- 認錯人 /认错人 (rèncuò rén)false belief that someone is someone else
- 誤認身份辯護 /误认身份辩护 (wùrèn shēnfèn biànhù)defense in criminal law
Finnish virheellinen tunnistus, virheellinen tunnistus
- virheellinen tunnistusfalse belief that someone is someone else
- virheellinen tunnistusdefense in criminal law
Portuguese identidade equivocada, identidade trocada
- identidade equivocadafalse belief that someone is someone else
- identidade trocadafalse belief that someone is someone else
Cite this entry
APA
mistaken identity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mistaken%20identity
MLA
“mistaken identity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mistaken%20identity. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mistaken identity,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mistaken%20identity.
Source: mistaken identity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.