Misdefine

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To provide a meaning or explanation that is not accurate or correct
2. To state or describe something in a way that misrepresents its true definition
3. To interpret or explain a word, phrase, or concept incorrectly or inaccurately

Etymology: "Misdefine" is a plain compound: the prefix "mis-", meaning wrongly or badly, attached to "define," which comes from Latin "definire," to limit or fix the boundaries of something. Put together, the word means to define something incorrectly, or to explain it wrongly. The "mis-" prefix is one of English's most productive, able to attach to almost any verb to signal a mistake, as in "misread," "misspell," or "misjudge." Its older roots are Old English, so the pattern is far older than most of the verbs it modifies. Here, the sense is literal: a definition sets a word's limits, and misdefining one puts those limits in the wrong place.

Synonyms: mislabel, misstate

Antonyms: define, clarify