What does miscalling mean?
Miscalling means calling someone or something by the wrong name, title, category, or designation. The word is especially appropriate when an incorrect identification has significance, such as confusing a person's professional title, attributing a work to the wrong person, or inaccurately describing a place or institution. It can describe either a deliberate mistake or a simple error of recognition. “Miscalcall” is more common as the underlying verb, while “miscalling” is its present-participle form and may also refer to the act of making such an error. In general use, “misname” is often simpler and more natural, but “miscalling” can give greater emphasis to the fact that the mistake concerns how someone or something is identified. The word is chiefly formal and occurs in British and American English.
verbTo call or refer to someone or something by an incorrect name, title, or designation.
- To name or designate someone or something incorrectly.
"The newspaper miscalled the respected physicist a historian, causing widespread embarrassment."
"Several witnesses said the officer had miscalled the suspect's name."
"The article was criticized for miscalling the ancient settlement a monastery."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of miscalling
The word combines the prefix “mis-,” meaning wrongly or incorrectly, with “call.” The same Germanic root underlies “call” and “recall,” while the Greek-derived “calligraphy” belongs to a different lexical family but shares the idea of calling or vocal expression. The compound meaning arose by expressing an incorrect act of naming or identifying.
Related word forms
How miscalling is actually used
The word is relatively uncommon and more formal than everyday alternatives such as “misname” or “call by the wrong name.” It most often describes an error in naming a person, place, object, or designation.