misunderstanding (n.)

"want of understanding, mistake as to the meaning of something," mid-15c., misunderstonding, verbal noun from misunderstand.

When misunderstanding serves others as an advantage, one is helpless to make oneself understood .... [Lionel Trilling, "Art and Fortune," 1948]

Meaning "dissension, a disagreement, a quarrel" is recorded by 1640s.

also from mid-15c.

Entries linking to misunderstanding

misunderstand (v.)

"understand amiss, attach a false meaning to; fail to understand," c. 1200, misunderstonde, from mis- (1) "badly, wrongly" + understand. Related: Misunderstood; misunderstanding.

Trends of misunderstanding

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

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mistake

mid-14c., "to commit an offense;" late 14c., "to misunderstand, misinterpret, take in a wrong sense," from mis- (1) "badly, wrongly" + take (v.) or from a cognate Scandinavian source such as Old Norse mistaka "take in error, miscarry." Perhaps a blend of both words. The more lite

Mahomet

A curious misunderstanding of a prophet and faith notable for severe monotheism. Related: Mahometan....

enormity

Sense of "hugeness" (1765 in English) is etymological but to prevent misunderstanding probably best avoided in favor of enormousness...

protagonist

The mistaken sense of "advocate, supporter" (1935) is from misunderstanding of Greek prōt- as Latin pro- "for."...

libertine

licentious person, man given to indulgence of lust" is first recorded 1590s; the darkening of meaning being perhaps due to misunderstanding...

doldrums

"Apparently due to a misunderstanding of the phrase 'in the doldrums', the state being taken as a locality" [OED]....

henchman

Sense of "obedient or unscrupulous follower" is first recorded 1839, probably somehow a misunderstanding of the word as used...

construe

late 14c., "to arrange the words of (a translation) in their natural order," hence "to interpret, explain, understand the meaning of," from Late Latin construere "to relate grammatically," in classical Latin "to build up, pile together," from assimilated form of com "with, togeth

interpretation

mid-14c. "a translated text, a translation" (late 13c. in Anglo-French), from Old French interpretacion, entrepretatiun "explanation, translation" (12c.) and directly from Latin interpretationem (nominative interpretatio) "explanation, exposition," noun of action from past partic

see

Middle English sēn, from Old English seon (Anglian sean) "be or become aware of by means of the eye; look, behold;" also "perceive mentally, understand; experience; visit (a place); inspect" (contracted class V strong verb; past tense seah, past participle sewen), from Proto-Germ

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updated on August 17, 2020

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Dictionary entries near misunderstanding

mistress

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misunderstand

misunderstanding

misunderstood

misuse

MIT

Mitchell

mite