Misthought

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A mistaken idea or belief that emerges from flawed reasoning
2. An incorrect thought or assumption stemming from misunderstanding or misinterpretation
3. A mental error involving inaccurate perceptions or judgments about a situation

Etymology: "Misthought" is a plain English compound: the prefix "mis-", meaning wrongly or badly, attached to "thought." The prefix comes from Old English "mis-", which is related to the same Germanic root that gives English "miss" and that carried the sense of going wrong or failing to hit a target. Its use in English is old and productive, so it has been attached to many verbs and nouns, including "misjudge," "misread," and "misunderstanding." "Thought" descends from Old English "þōht," which in turn comes from a Proto-Germanic base connected with thinking and mental activity. The combined word therefore literally means a wrong thought or a faulty way of thinking, and it describes a mental error in the sense of an inaccurate perception or judgment about a situation.

Synonyms: misconception, misjudgment