misidentification

noun

mis·​iden·​ti·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌmis-ī-ˌden-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

ˌmis-ə-

plural misidentifications

: incorrect or false identification

The long-term nature of a life insurance policy sometimes accounts for a misidentification of the insured.

—Harriett E. Jones et al.

In the finished novel, the central character insists on calling his girlfriend June, though her name is Joan—one of many obsessional misidentifications in [Henry] Green's fiction.

—Jeremy Treglown

Examples of misidentification in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In Indiana, over a third of such cases have involved misidentifications, contributing to 245 years of wrongful incarceration. —Michelle Mbekeani, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025

In a statement, Hamas attributed the misidentification to the chaotic conditions caused by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025

What measures are in place to prevent misidentification of genetic materials? —Melissa Willets, Parents, 25 Feb. 2025

This misidentification was never clearer to me than during a conversation with a prospective client—a white woman—about a keynote speech on imposter syndrome. —Shari Dunn, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for misidentification

• americanization
• anticoagulation
• antidiscrimination
• bioaccumulation
• bioremediation
• compartmentalization
• contextualization
• copolymerization
• decriminalization
• dehumidification
• demilitarization
• demineralization