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misidentify

misidentify

Transitive Verb

past: misidentifiedpp: misidentifieding: misidentifying

This term describes a specific failure of recognition where an object or person is not merely unknown, but is actively assigned the wrong identity. It carries a connotation of error or fallacy, often appearing in legal, forensic, or scientific contexts where precision is paramount and a mistake can have serious consequences.

Because the word focuses on the act of incorrect labeling, it differs from "confuse," which suggests a general state of muddle or inability to distinguish between two things. Misidentification is a discrete event of wrong attribution, frequently resulting from superficial similarities or flawed memory.

Meanings

Transitive Verbmisidentify

[~ someone][~ something]

To incorrectly identify someone or something as being a different person or thing.

The witness accidentally misidentified the suspect during the police lineup.

Examples

The witness misidentified the suspect in the police lineup.

Detective

I think I misidentified the plant as a weed and pulled it out.

Wait, did you just misidentify me for someone else?

It is easy to misidentify these two species of birds because they look so similar.

Trivia

The lab technician misidentified the sample, leading to an incorrect result.

Health

I must have misidentified the street sign since I ended up in the wrong town.

Travel

The software often misidentifies low-resolution images as noise.

Office

He feared that the guards would misidentify him as an intruder.

Fantasy

She realized she had misidentified the painting as an original when she saw the copy mark.

History

Last Updated: May 2026•Report an Error