Meaning & use
misrepresent
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To describe someone or something in a way that is false or misleading, often to gain an advantage.
Grammar: Takes an object: misrepresent the facts, misrepresent someone's views.
Patterns
- misrepresent something
- misrepresent someone as something
- misrepresent something to someone
The company misrepresented the safety of its product to customers.
He misrepresented her comments as an admission of guilt.
The article misrepresents the scientific evidence.
verbtransitive
To give a false or inaccurate account of oneself, especially in order to deceive.
Grammar: Often used reflexively: misrepresent oneself.
Patterns
- misrepresent oneself
- misrepresent oneself as something
She misrepresented herself as a doctor to get the job.
Applicants who misrepresent themselves on their résumés may be fired.
He misrepresented himself as an expert in the field.
Word forms
| third person singular | misrepresents |
|---|---|
| past tense | misrepresented |
| past participle | misrepresented |
| -ing form | misrepresenting |
Common combinations
- misrepresent the facts
- The report misrepresented the facts to support its conclusion.
- misrepresent someone's views
- The politician misrepresented his opponent's views on healthcare.
- misrepresent the truth
- He was accused of misrepresenting the truth during the trial.
- deliberately misrepresent
- She deliberately misrepresented the data to make her case stronger.
- misrepresent something as something
- The advertisement misrepresents the product as environmentally friendly.
Synonyms and how they differ
- distort
- Distort means to change information so it is no longer accurate, often unintentionally; misrepresent often implies a deliberate act of giving a false account.
- falsify
- Falsify means to change records or evidence to deceive, usually in a more concrete, physical way; misrepresent is broader and can refer to spoken or written descriptions.
- twist
- Twist is informal and means to change the meaning of words to suit one's purpose; misrepresent is more formal and suggests a serious falsehood.
Opposites
Word family
- misrepresentation noun
- The act of giving a false or misleading account.
- misrepresentative adjective
- Giving a false or misleading impression.
Commonly confused: misrepresent or misinterpret?
misrepresent vs misinterpret
Misinterpret means to understand something wrongly; misrepresent means to describe something falsely to others.
Practice
The salesman was accused of ______ the benefits of the insurance policy to elderly customers.
Choose one answer.
The salesman gave a false description of the policy to customers, so 'misrepresenting' fits. 'Misinterpreting' would mean he understood it wrongly himself, not that he described it falsely to others. 'Misunderstanding' is similar but does not fit the pattern 'accused of ... the benefits to customers'. 'Misinforming' is close but usually means giving wrong information unintentionally, while 'misrepresenting' better suggests a deliberate distortion.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “misrepresent”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.