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

Turning off those early warning systems is a profound miscalculation because, as new research from the U.K. points out once again, teachers absolutely cannot or do not spot academic work that has been spit out by a chatbot. —Derek Newton, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024

Early in his Senate career, Rubio participated in a bipartisan Senate effort to craft immigration reform legislation, which politically was a miscalculation. —Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 12 Nov. 2024

And where are the polls most at risk of miscalculation support for either candidate? —David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

If firing Saleh — whose expertise was on the defensive side of the ball — was supposed to revive the offense, that was a miscalculation. —Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above