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View synonyms for misinformation

misinformation

[ mis-in-fer-mey-shuhn ]

noun

  1. false information that is spread, regardless of whether there is intent to mislead:

    In the chaotic hours after the earthquake, a lot of misinformation was reported in the news.



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Word History and Origins

Origin of misinformation1

First recorded in 1580–90; mis- 1( def ) + information ( def )

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Example Sentences

Over the years, QAnon has demonstrated some of the dangers of letting misinformation flourish online.

Content from 10 websites spreading health misinformation received almost four times as many estimated views on Facebook as content from 10 reliable sources, such as the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

During the 2018 presidential election that brought Bolsonaro into office, WhatsApp became a platform for widespread misinformation, most of it favoring Bolsonaro, according to an analysis by the Guardian.

Consumers are becoming more and more aware of the dangers of misinformation and bias on the web.

In its own blog post, the lab focused on the AI tool’s potential to be weaponized as a mass producer of misinformation.

(Referenda tend to be expensive, rife with misinformation, and favorable to extreme positions).

Back then, mystery and misinformation were the coins of the realm.

We apologize for any misinformation that may have been shared with students.

In the eyes of Barmmy, distrust of the medical world runs deeper than misinformation alone.

But so much of the backlash against the Common Core is built on misinformation.

These statements are fairly good examples of the misinformation and erratic statements the “Emperor” gave the committee.

Here's a better idea: start intercepting the spy's communications and feed him and his masters misinformation.

Why so much misinformation about snakes exists is a mystery.

But this order, in consequence of some misinformation, did not correctly describe the situation of the ships.

The result is a most remarkable jumble of misinformation and fiction, with which Field plied Garland to the top of his bent.

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Related Words

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Misinformation Vs. Disinformation

What's the difference between misinformation and disinformation?

Misinformation refers to false information, regardless of whether or not it’s intended to mislead or deceive people. Disinformation, in contrast, refers to false information that’s spread with the specific intent of misleading or deceiving people.

Due to their similarity, the terms are sometimes used in overlapping ways. All disinformation is misinformation, but not all misinformation is disinformation. Disinformation is the more specific of the two because it always implies that the false information is being provided or spread on purpose.

Disinformation is especially used in the context of large-scale deception, such as a disinformation campaign by a government that targets the population of another country. Misinformation can be spread with the intent to trick people or just because someone incorrectly thinks it’s true.

This distinction can also be seen in the difference between their verb forms, misinform and disinform. To misinform someone is to provide them with wrong information, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it was intentional. Disinform, which is much less commonly used, means to intentionally provide or spread false information.

One way to remember the difference between misinformation and disinformation is to remember that misinformation can be a mistake, while disinformation is not just false but dishonest.

Here’s an example of misinformation and disinformation used correctly in a sentence.

Example: The intelligence report concluded that the rumors spread prior to the election were not simply the result of misinformation but rather of coordinated disinformation by a foreign power.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between misinformation and disinformation.

Quiz yourself on misinformation vs. disinformation!

Should misinformation or disinformation be used in the following sentence?

The government spread _____ about the location of their army in hopes of tricking the enemy.

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misinformmisinterpret