Misconception
A belief or idea that is incorrect because it is based on faulty reasoning, incomplete evidence, or misinformation.
nounMisconception
A belief or idea that is incorrect because it is based on faulty reasoning, incomplete evidence, or misinformation.
nounImagine This
Imagine a student confidently asserts that 'humans only use 10% of their brains.' A quick teacher clarifies that this claim is a misconception and demonstrates why the brain is fully utilized.
Sounds Like
MIS-kon-SEP-shuhn
Looks Like
an incorrect concept
Remember This
Misconceptions are common in science and history. For example, many people believe the Great Wall of China is visible from space, which is a misconception that persists despite evidence to the contrary.
Other Forms
Connect With
fallacy, misunderstanding, erroneous belief, myth, stereotype
Note
A misconception is a mistaken belief about a concept, not a logical argument or myth. Distinguish it from 'fact' and 'fallacy'; use it to describe ideas that are incorrectly conceived.
Study Deeper
- A common misconception is that bats are blind.
- Many people have the misconception that vaccines cause autism.
From mis- (wrong) + conception (the act of conceiving an idea), from Latin conceptio 'a taking or receiving', from concipere 'to take in'.
Misconception = mistaken concept. Remember that mis- means wrong, so a misconception is a wrong concept.
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Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
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Acronym
nounA word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).