misname

verb

mis·​name ˌmis-ˈnām How to pronounce misname (audio)
misnamed; misnaming; misnames

transitive verb

: to name incorrectly : miscall

Examples of misname in a Sentence

They misnamed the airport when they called it “international.” Almost all the arriving and departing flights are local. The caption misnamed the person in the picture.
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.
In the course of the initiative, Nigel Jeffries, MOLA’s ceramics specialist, has come to believe that witch bottles may have not only been miscategorized but misnamed: these bottles were likely medical objects, rather than magical ones. Geoff Manaugh, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2019 In some cases, police and lawyers inflict further harm by misgendering and misnaming victims. Kristin Lam, USA TODAY, 20 Nov. 2019 In some editions, a story that began on the cover about the central SoMa development lawsuit settlement misnamed a nonprofit developer hoping to build affordable housing in South of Market. SFChronicle.com, 1 Oct. 2019 Perhaps more than other forms of work, domestic labor is often misnamed as love, duty, or some kind of irresistible biological calling. Constance Grady, Vox, 15 June 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1537, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of misname was in 1537

Dictionary Entries Near misname

Cite this Entry

“Misname.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misname. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

misname

verb
mis·​name (ˈ)mis-ˈnām How to pronounce misname (audio)
: to name incorrectly : miscall

More from Merriam-Webster on misname

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!