misunderestimation

noun

An inaccurate underestimation, or an act of misunderestimating; misestimation of the low-side error type.

Scrabble 23

Meanings

nounmisunderestimation (countable and uncountable, plural misunderestimations)

plural misunderestimations

  1. countablenonstandarduncountableAn inaccurate underestimation, or an act of misunderestimating; misestimation of the low-side error type.

    We find even in our own agency very significant misunderestimations of the effectiveness.

    1983, "Mr. Peck", Department of Transportation and related agencies appropriations for 1984: Hearings, page 157
    1 more example

    This is not the first time our president has worried about misunderestimation, so it’s fair to regard this not as a slip of the tongue, but as something the president of the United States thinks is a word.

    2009 January 15, Gail Collins, “He’s Leaving. Really.”, in New York Times

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. Englishunderestimation
  10. Englishmisunderestimation

From mis- + underestimation.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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