misidentification

IPA/ˌmɪs.aɪ.den.tɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
KK[mˌɪsaɪdˌɛntɪfɪkˈeʃən]IPA/ˌmɪs.aɪ.den.t̬ə.fəˈkeɪ.ʃən/

misidentification — noun

  • misidentificationsingular
  • misidentificationsplural

1. an instance where a person or thing is mistakenly recognised as being someone or

1.nounC1
Definition

an instance where a person or thing is mistakenly recognised as being someone or something else — for example, picking the wrong man from a police line-up, or labelling one bird species as another.

Example

The court overturned Diego's conviction after a clear misidentification by the only witness.

common collocation: misidentification by [witness/source]

Birdwatchers often debate the misidentification of young hawks as falcons in winter fields.

pattern: misidentification of X as Y

Common collocations
  • case of misidentification
  • eyewitness misidentification
  • risk of misidentification
  • prevent misidentification
Synonyms
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

misidentification of [noun]

a case of misidentification

Usage Note

Frequently used in formal contexts such as legal testimony, medical records, and scientific classification. Often appears with 'of' (misidentification of X) or 'by' (misidentification by Y).

Common Mistakes

He made a misidentification with my brother.
He made a misidentification of my brother.
the preposition is 'of', not 'with'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four nouns all describe naming the wrong person or thing, but they differ in register and scope. 'Misidentification' is the most formal and the broadest — it covers people, objects, species, and chemical samples, and it is the standard term in legal reports, medical safety guidance, and scientific writing. 'Mistaken identity' is the everyday equivalent and is almost always used of people, often in a half-comic situation: 'It was a case of mistaken identity at the airport.' 'Misrecognition' is rarer and more academic, used in psychology or philosophy to stress the perceptual failure itself. 'False identification' overlaps heavily with misidentification in courtroom usage but emphasises the incorrect outcome rather than the act.

misidentification ↗mistaken identitymisrecognitionfalse identification

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • case of misidentification
  • risk of misidentification
  • eyewitness misidentification
  • prevent misidentification

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed in English by adding the prefix 'mis-' (meaning 'wrongly' or 'badly') to 'identification', itself from Latin 'identificare', built on 'idem' ('the same'). The word appears from the 19th century onward as scientific and legal writing began to need a precise term for failures of recognition.