misperception

noun

mis·​per·​cep·​tion ˌmis-pər-ˈsēp-shən 

plural misperceptions

: a false or inaccurate perception

… a host of misperceptions about the '50s, including the skewed notion that women didn't work in the 1950s, especially if they were mothers. Even in the '50s, one-fifth of mothers had paying jobs.

—Jeff Reid

Examples of misperception in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Given that Pyongyang is insecure, isolated, and impoverished—but also nuclear armed—Washington should be taking steps to strengthen engagement, reduce misperceptions, and build mutual trust to lower the risks of a nuclear war. —Frank Aum, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2022

Even among locals, there’s a misperception for how dangerous the area is, Freedman said. —Alex Sherman, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2024

First: What’s the biggest misperception other people have of you? —Alex Koller, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2024

There is a misperception among some Americans that Social Security benefits aren't taxable, perhaps reflecting that such income wasn't taxable until 1984. —Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 2 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1722, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

misperception

noun

mis·​per·​cep·​tion ˌmis-pər-ˈsep-shən 

: a false perception