Misthinking

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of forming incorrect beliefs through flawed reasoning
2. A mental activity resulting in erroneous conclusions and misguided perceptions
3. The act of generating ideas that are mistaken or logically unsound

Etymology: "Misthinking" is a plain English compound, built from the prefix "mis-", meaning wrongly or amiss, and "think." The prefix comes down through Old English, where "mis-" carried the sense of error or failure, and the verb "think" goes back to Old English "þenċan," which had a different sound and spelling but the same basic meaning. Joining the two gives a word that describes thinking that goes astray. The verb "misthink" is the older form, and "misthinking" is simply its form used as a noun for the activity itself, the generating of mistaken or unsound ideas. Because both parts are ordinary English, the word needs little explanation. Its meaning is transparent from its parts, which is typical of English compounds built with "mis-", such as "misread" or "misjudge."

Synonyms: misjudgment, false reasoning, flawed thinking, INVALID, INVALID

Antonyms: correct thinking, rational thought, sound reasoning, clear thinking, VALID