miscalculation

noun

mis·​cal·​cu·​la·​tion ˌmis-ˌkal-kyə-ˈlā-shən 

plural miscalculations

: a mistake in calculation : wrong calculation

a costly miscalculation

… ruled that utility shareholders, not electricity consumers, must pay for some or all of the miscalculations that resulted in excessive expansion or cost overruns.

—Peter Nulty

Synonyms

• misapprehension
• misjudging
• misjudgment
• misstep
• mistake
• slip
• slipup

Examples of miscalculation in a Sentence

treating her opponent as an intellectual lightweight was a serious miscalculation on her part

Recent Examples on the Web

This failure has long been viewed as one of the key miscalculations that delayed the country's recovery, which only began with World War II's industrial demands. —Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025

But human miscalculations continually threaten that delicate balance. —Allie Volpe, Vox, 3 Apr. 2025

Downside Of This Mistake: This miscalculation hampered my strategic planning and contained immediate growth. 3. —Elissa Kelly, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025

Erika showing her softer side in season 14 doesn’t mean she’s lost her bite completely — that would be its own kind of miscalculation. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for miscalculation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration