Mismessaging

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. The act or process of sending an incorrect or unintended message; the occurrence of communication errors leading to misunderstanding or misinterpretation; the delivery of information in a way that fails to convey the intended meaning
2. An event or instance where transmitted information is mistaken, altered, or misunderstood; a failure in communication resulting in the wrong message being received or perceived; the production or spread of inaccurate or confusing messages
3. A situation involving the transmission of messages that are inaccurate, unclear, or misdirected; errors occurring in the process of conveying thoughts or instructions; causing miscommunication through incorrect or ambiguous information exchange

Etymology: "Mismessaging" is a plain compound: the prefix "mis-", meaning wrongly or badly, attached to "messaging," the present participle and gerund of "message" used as a noun and verb. Together they describe messages that are sent or received wrongly, whether through an error of wording, a faulty channel, or a misreading by the recipient. The prefix "mis-" is an Old English element that has been productive in English for centuries, appearing in words like "mistake" and "misunderstand." Its pattern is the same here: it attaches to a verb or noun and reverses or spoils its sense. "Messaging" carries the older sense of sending word or a communication, from Old French "message," itself from Latin "missaticum," a sending. Combining the two gives a term that names a failure in the act of communication itself rather than in the content alone.