misinformation

From mis- +‎ information.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌmɪs.ɪn.fəˈmeɪ.ʃən/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌmɪs.ɪn.fɚˈmeɪ.ʃən/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˌmɪs.ɪn.fəˈmæɪ.ʃən/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

misinformation (uncountable)

1. Information that is incorrect, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

   Synonyms: counterfact, counterfactual; see also Thesaurus:falsehood, Thesaurus:lie

   Coordinate terms: disinformation (intentional), malinformation (intentional)

   • 1983, Richard Ellis, The Book of Sharks, Knopf, →ISBN, page 87:

     My intent is not to criticize an unpublished biology paper, but only to demonstrate the ease with which misinformation can creep into popular literature.

   • 1984, William Gibson, chapter 4, in Neuromancer (Sprawl; book 1), New York, N.Y.: Ace Books, →ISBN, page 62:

     The Panther Moderns allowed four minutes for their first move to take effect, then injected a second carefully prepared dose of misinformation.

   • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Normandy SR-1:

     Liara: Although we seek to understand other species, it seems few of them seek to understand us. The galaxy is filled with rumors and misinformation about my people.

   • 2017 September 28, Sam Levin, “Mark Zuckerberg: I regret ridiculing fears over Facebook's effect on election”, in The Guardian‎^[1], archived from the original on 27 February 2025:

     Mark Zuckerberg said he regretted dismissing concerns about the Facebook’s role in influencing the US presidential race, his latest acknowledgement that misinformation on the platform has affected elections.

   • 2019 September 1, Claire Wardle, “Misinformation Has Created a New World Disorder”, in Scientific American‎^[2], archived from the original on 1 April 2025:

     As someone who studies the impact of misinformation on society, I often wish the young entrepreneurs of Silicon Valley who enabled communication at speed had been forced to run a 9/11 scenario with their technologies before they deployed them commercially.

   • 2021 May 7, Max Fisher, “‘Belonging Is Stronger Than Facts’: The Age of Misinformation”, in The New York Times‎^[3], →ISSN, archived from the original on 15 August 2021:

     Framing everything as a grand conflict against scheming enemies can feel enormously reassuring. And that’s why perhaps the greatest culprit of our era of misinformation may be, more than any one particular misinformer, the era-defining rise in social polarization.

   • 2021 November 17, Nigel Harris, “Network News: Leaked NR log and statement prompted media chaos”, in RAIL, number 944, page 6:

     Early news coverage of this incident on Sunday October 31/Monday November 1 was blighted by misinformation arising from an early Network Rail official statement and a leaked NR log, resulting in TV/radio news reports which were factually inaccurate in at least five fundamentals.

• misinform

• informationism