mis·rep·re·sent

[mis-rep-ri-zent]
verb (used with object)
1.
to represent incorrectly, improperly, or falsely.
2.
to represent in an unsatisfactory manner.

Origin:
1640–50; mis-1 + represent

mis·rep·re·sen·ta·tion, noun
mis·rep·re·sen·ta·tive, adjective
mis·rep·re·sent·er, noun
pre·mis·rep·re·sent, verb (used with object)
pre·mis·rep·re·sen·ta·tion, noun


Misrepresent, distort, falsify, belie share the sense of presenting information in a way that does not accord with the truth. Misrepresent usually involves a deliberate intention to deceive, either for profit or advantage: The dealer misrepresented the condition of the car. Distort implies a purposeful twisting or emphasizing of certain statements so as to produce an inaccurate or misleading impresssion: cleverly distorting the facts to create an impression of his own innocence. Falsify suggests a tampering with or alteration of facts, records, or documents, especially with the intent to cheat or deceive: He falsified the birth records to conceal his age. Belie means to create an impression that is inconsistent with the facts, or that contradicts other evidence but it does not usually suggest intent to deceive: Her casual, relaxed manner belies her insecurity.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To misrepresent
00:10
Misrepresent is one of our favorite verbs.
So is bowdlerise. Does it mean:
to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.
to run away hurriedly; flee.
Collins
World English Dictionary
misrepresent (ˌmɪsrɛprɪˈzɛnt) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
vb
(tr) to represent wrongly or inaccurately
 
misrepresen'tation
 
n
 
misrepre'sentative
 
adj
 
misrepre'senter
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

misrepresent
1640s, from mis- (1) + represent.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Images that have been falsified or manipulated to misrepresent treatment
  outcomes are prohibited.
Part of the problem here is that general media accounts misrepresent the
  meaning of a given retraction.
Yet another example of how non gamers and media misrepresent and don't
  understand gaming.
But you seriously misrepresent the national situation by suggesting that this
  discrimination is universal and inevitable.
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT