Misrepresentative

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. An individual or organization that provides false depictions of information or facts may be viewed as dishonest
2. A person or party that conveys misleading or incorrect interpretations of truth is often seen as untrustworthy
3. A party that inaccurately portrays ideas or realities can be considered deceptive

Etymology: The prefix "mis-" has a long pedigree in English. It descends from a Proto-Germanic root meaning something like "wrongly" or "amiss," which passed through Old English as a prefix signalling error or failure, as in "mistake" and "misdeed." Its sense was not originally about falsehood; it simply marked something going wrong. "Representative" is the older half of the pairing. It traces back to the idea of something standing in for or presenting another thing, so a representative is someone who speaks or acts on another's behalf. Attaching "mis-" to it produces a person or thing that presents another's position or facts incorrectly. The result is a straightforward compound: "mis-" plus "representative." The adjective describes someone or something whose portrayal of facts is wrong, whether through carelessness or deliberate distortion.

Synonyms: deceptive, distorted