Meaning & use
misapprehension
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Meaning
nouncountable or uncountableformal
A mistaken idea about a fact or situation, usually because you were missing information or read it wrongly.
Grammar: Often follows 'under a': he was under a misapprehension; or 'that': under the misapprehension that.
Patterns
- under a misapprehension
- under the misapprehension that
She was under the misapprehension that the meeting had been cancelled.
There is a common misapprehension that bats are blind.
He quickly cleared up the misapprehension about the new fees.
Word forms
| plural | misapprehensions |
|---|
Common combinations
- under a misapprehension
- I was under a misapprehension about when the train left.
- labor under a misapprehension
- Many tourists labor under the misapprehension that tipping is optional here.
- common misapprehension
- It is a common misapprehension that lightning never strikes twice.
- clear up a misapprehension
- The spokesman moved to clear up the misapprehension.
- correct a misapprehension
- The teacher corrected the pupils' misapprehension about fractions.
Synonyms and how they differ
- misunderstanding
- It is the everyday word and can also mean a quarrel, while 'misapprehension' is a quieter, more formal word for a false belief.
- misconception
- It usually refers to a widely held wrong idea, so it is a better fit for general beliefs than a single person's mistake.
- delusion
- It is stronger, suggesting a false belief held despite evidence to the contrary.
- mistaken belief
- This plain phrase says the same thing without the formal flavor.
Opposites
Word family
- misapprehend verb
- to understand something wrongly
- apprehend verb
- to grasp or understand, or to arrest someone
- apprehension noun
- anxiety about the future, or an understanding
- apprehensive adjective
- worried that something bad will happen
Commonly confused: misapprehension or apprehension? misapprehension or misconception?
misapprehension vs apprehension
Apprehension usually means worry about what may happen, so it is not a mistaken belief.
misapprehension vs misconception
A misconception is a wrong idea, often a popular one. A misapprehension is more about being wrong in a particular situation, especially in the 'under a misapprehension' phrase.
Practice
'I was under a ____ that the shop opened at nine.' Which word fits best?
Choose one answer.
'Under a misapprehension' is the fixed phrase meaning to hold a wrong belief. 'Apprehension' means worry, so it is a common mix-up.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “misapprehension”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.