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.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
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
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“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.”
“My grandma's misidentification of the TV remote as her phone led to a very confusing call.”
📚Related Words
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