Miscommunicating

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Failing to express or share information in a way that is understood correctly
2. Not transmitting ideas or messages effectively so the meaning is misunderstood
3. Inability to communicate clearly, resulting in confusion or misunderstanding

Etymology: "Miscommunicating" is the present participle of "miscommunicate," which is formed by attaching the prefix "mis-" to "communicate." The prefix comes from Old English and Middle English, where it meant "wrongly" or "badly," as in "misunderstand" or "mistake." Attaching it to "communicate" yields a verb meaning to convey something incorrectly, so that the message is garbled or misread. "Communicate" itself comes from the Latin "communicare," meaning "to share" or "to impart," built from "communis," meaning "common." The original sense was sharing something with others, and the modern idea of transmitting information grew out of that notion of making something common to several people. The "mis-" prefix therefore reverses the intended result of that sharing: instead of making a thought common ground, the exchange leaves the two parties with different understandings.

Synonyms: misconveying, misinterpreting, misunderstanding, misreporting, misrelating

Antonyms: communicating, conveying, reporting, relating, expressing