Misdescription

A misdescription is an inaccurate or misleading representation of something, whether it be a person, place, object, or concept. It can arise from a variety of factors, including ignorance, carelessness, intentional deceit, or faulty perception. The consequences of a misdescription can range from minor inconvenience to significant harm, depending on the context. Often, the misdescription doesn't fully capture the true nature of the subject, painting a picture that is incomplete or skewed. The validity of a misdescription often hinges on its accuracy with respect to what it represents, where accuracy can be measured objectively or relative to the subject.

Misdescription meaning with examples

• The museum's brochure contained a misdescription of the painting's origin, incorrectly stating it was from the 17th century instead of the 18th. The historian, upon discovering the error, revised the literature. This misdescription was minor but undermined the accuracy of the accompanying historical data and risked propagating false information for those unable to ascertain otherwise.
• The real estate listing included a misdescription of the property's size, claiming a larger square footage than actually existed. The potential buyers noticed discrepancies between the listing and measurements taken during a viewing of the premises, leading to mistrust of the real estate agent and potentially scuttling a sale of the property.
• The witness provided a misdescription of the suspect's appearance, stating the suspect had blond hair when the suspect actually had brown hair. This misdescription resulted in wasted police resources and could have had dire consequences for the integrity of the evidence provided against any accused party.
• A political campaign's advertisement employed a misdescription of the opposing candidate's policy, implying a position that was never actually stated. This misdescription was deemed unfair by the opposing party and caused political friction in the run-up to the election cycle because it attempted to shape opinion based on falsehood.
• In their attempt to market the new product, the company released a press statement that contained a misdescription of its functionality, promising features that were not implemented. This misdescription angered customers when they discovered this misrepresentation, leading to poor sales and damaged brand reputation due to false advertising.