misapprehend

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *mey-?

Proto-Indo-European *meyth₂-der.

Proto-Germanic *missaz

Proto-Germanic *missa-

Proto-West Germanic *missa-

Old English mis-

Middle English mys-

English mis-

English apprehend

English misapprehend

From mis- + apprehend.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /mɪsapɹɪˈhɛnd/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛnd

Verb

misapprehend (third-person singular simple present misapprehends, present participle misapprehending, simple past and past participle misapprehended)

1. (transitive) To interpret incorrectly; to misunderstand.
   • 2006, Matt Wray, Not Quite White, page 139:

     I define white as a social category, not a racial category. Of course, it carries unmistakable racial meanings, but as I have argued in this book, to see it as racial and nothing more is to misapprehend it.

   • 2007, Tim Weiner, Legacy of Ashes, Penguin, published 2008, page xv:

     They misapprehended the intentions and capabilities of our enemies, miscalculated the strength of communism, and misjudged the threat of terrorism.

Derived terms

• misapprehender
• misapprehendingly

Translations

to interpret something incorrectly; to misunderstand

• German: missverstehen (de)
• Italian: male interpretare
• Māori: moehewa