Mispresenting

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To convey information inaccurately or falsely; to represent something in a misleading or incorrect manner; to provide a distorted or erroneous portrayal of facts
2. To give a false impression through incorrect description; to deliberately or unintentionally distort the truth in presenting details; to offer an inaccurate depiction of a situation or information
3. To communicate information in a way that is untrue or deceptive; to depict something misleadingly, whether intentionally or not; to mischaracterize facts by presenting them improperly or falsely

Etymology: The verb "mispresent" is built from the prefix "mis-", meaning wrongly or badly, attached to "present", which in this sense means to set something forth or describe it to someone. Together they form a straightforward compound: to present something wrongly. The pattern is a productive one in English, where "mis-" has been added to many verbs over the centuries to mark an action done incorrectly, as in "misread," "misjudge," and "misspeak." The word's meaning has stayed close to its parts. Where "present" can mean simply to put before someone, "mispresent" narrows that to giving a false or distorted picture, so the emphasis falls on the inaccuracy of the account rather than on the act of showing or offering. It is a plain, transparent formation, and its sense can be read directly from the two elements that make it up.

Synonyms: misrepresenting, falsely presenting, wrongly presenting

Antonyms: accurately presenting, truthfully presenting, correctly presenting