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misidentification — The act of incorrectly identifying a person or thing, or the state of being wrongly identified.

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: The act of incorrectly identifying a person or thing, or the state of being wrongly identified.

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌmɪsaɪˌdɛntɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

Example Sentences

  • Due to their identical twin appearance, misidentification at the airport security was almost inevitable.
  • The cat café had a hilarious misidentification incident when a customer petted the wrong 'Mr. Whiskers'.
  • Facial recognition software still struggles with misidentification in low-light conditions.

misidentification

NOUN

[/ˌmɪsaɪˌdɛntɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/]

The act of incorrectly identifying a person or thing, or the state of being wrongly identified.

The witness's misidentification sent the wrong man to jail for years.
💡 Concept

The witness's misidentification sent the wrong man to jail for years.

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🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˌmɪsaɪˌdɛntɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
🇬🇧 UK/ˌmɪsaɪˌdɛntɪfɪˈkeɪʃn/

🌳Etymology

Prefixmis--
Rootidentific
Suffix--ation

Origin

The word combines the prefix 'mis-', derived from Latin meaning 'wrongly' or 'badly', with 'identification', which stems from Latin 'idem' (same) and the verb 'identificare' (to make identical). The suffix '-ation' converts the verb into a noun denoting the act or process, creating a term meaning 'incorrect identification'.

Breakdown

mis- (wrongly, badly) + identific- (from Latin idem, 'same', and -ficare, 'to make') + -ation (noun suffix indicating act or process). The base 'identify' means to recognize as the same or to determine the identity of something.

🎵Rhyme

classification
identification
qualification

🔗Collocations

eyewitness misidentification
case of misidentification
risk of misidentification
lead to misidentification
prevent misidentification
cause of misidentification
victim of misidentification

📝Examples

“Due to their identical twin appearance, misidentification at the airport security was almost inevitable.”

😄 Fun example

“The cat café had a hilarious misidentification incident when a customer petted the wrong 'Mr. Whiskers'.”

“Facial recognition software still struggles with misidentification in low-light conditions.”

😄 Fun example

“My grandma's misidentification of the TV remote as her phone led to a very confusing call.”

📚Related Words

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