WordGarden.iomisname
Pronunciation
UK
US
Meanings
Verb
to call someone or something by the wrong name
Beyond the definition
To misname someone or something is to use the wrong name for them. Sometimes it is a small everyday mistake, like calling a new coworker by the wrong name. Other times it happens in a more lasting way, such as when a place, plant, or object is given a name that is not correct. Old maps, for example, sometimes show rivers or mountains that were misnamed by people who did not know the local name.
The word can also appear in more formal settings, like records, reports, or books, where using the wrong name matters. In each case, the main idea is simple: the name given is not the right one.
Picture a clerk writing down names in a town record, or a traveler drawing a map of a place they do not fully know. If a person, place, animal, or thing is given the wrong name, it has been misnamed. The word is used when the problem is specifically about the name itself being wrong.
Sometimes the mistake is brief and ordinary. You might misname a neighbor when introducing them, or misname a flower because you confused it with another one. In other cases, the wrong name stays around longer. A mountain might be misnamed on a map, or a person might be misnamed in an official document, which can then cause confusion.
The word can also be used in a slightly wider sense for a title or term that does not fit well. Someone might say a policy was misnamed if its official title gives the wrong impression. Even then, the central idea stays the same: the name used is inaccurate or misleading.
So the heart of misname is straightforward. It means giving, using, or recording the wrong name for someone or something, whether by accident, misunderstanding, or bad information.
Examples
- 1
News report
The reporter misnamed the town in the first version of the story.
- 2
File name
The file was misnamed, so I couldn't find it in the folder.
- 3
Misleading title
Critics said the bill was misnamed, because it did very little to protect consumers.
See also
Similar
- mislabel
- misidentify
- call by the wrong name
Shades of meaning
- misdesignate
- mistitle
Contrast
- name correctly
- rename
Used with (collocations)
- misname a person
- misname a place
- be misnamed
Word family
- misnamed
- misnaming
Explore
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- misnameverb