miscalculation

noun

mis·​cal·​cu·​la·​tion ˌmis-ˌkal-kyə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce miscalculation (audio)
plural miscalculations
: a mistake in calculation : wrong calculation
a costly miscalculation
… ruled that utility shareholders, not electricity consumers, must pay for some or all of the miscalculations that resulted in excessive expansion or cost overruns.Peter Nulty

Examples of miscalculation in a Sentence

treating her opponent as an intellectual lightweight was a serious miscalculation on her part
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But Roosevelt had made three fatal miscalculations. Bruce W. Dearstyne / Made By History, TIME, 13 Jan. 2025 Early return: Boston’s front office appears to have made costly miscalculations. Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025 Experts said that Pakistan had made a strategic miscalculation with the Taliban. Zia Ur-Rehman, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2025 Recommended Joy Five years after fire, a shining Notre Dame is ready to reopen its doors Mr. Han, the acting leader, ordered the military to bolster its security posture to prevent North Korea from launching provocations by miscalculation. Hyung-Jin Kim and Kim Tong-Hyung, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for miscalculation 

Word History

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of miscalculation was in 1653

Dictionary Entries Near miscalculation

Cite this Entry

“Miscalculation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/miscalculation. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

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