Misrelates

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To incorrectly connect or associate one concept, fact, or idea with another, thus presenting a misleading or inaccurate relationship
2. To inaccurately explain or convey links between elements, resulting in a false or inappropriate correlation
3. To misunderstand or wrongly depict the connection or relevance between things, leading to erroneous interpretation or association

Etymology: "Misrelates" is the third-person singular present form of "misrelate," a verb formed from the prefix "mis-," meaning wrongly or badly, attached to "relate." The base word comes from Latin "relatus," the past participle of "referre," meaning to bring back or carry back, which passed into English through the notion of telling or recounting something, and then came to mean establishing a connection between things. The prefix "mis-" has been used in English since Old English times to mean wrongly, as in "misjudge" or "misunderstand," and it attaches freely to verbs of connection and description. "Misrelate" applies that same pattern to the act of linking one thing to another, so that the error lies not in a fact itself but in the connection drawn between facts.

Synonyms: misrepresents, distorts, miscommunicates, misreports, misconstrues

Antonyms: relates, connects, associates, correlates, links