Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
misattribute
verb
/ˌmɪsˈætrɪˌbjuːt/
Definition
To incorrectly attribute a cause, source, or characteristic to something or someone.
Examples
- Many people misattribute famous quotes to the wrong authors.
- It’s easy to misattribute an emotion to a situation without knowing the full story.
Meaning
When someone misattributes something, they mistakenly assign a different source or reason than the true one. This can happen in various contexts, such as misattributing a quote to the wrong person or misunderstanding the origin of an idea.
Synonyms
- misassign
- mislabel
- mistakenly credit
