What does misgiven mean?
Misgiven means wrongly given, attributed, or bestowed. Its clearest modern use is with something that has been named or described incorrectly, especially a name, title, or attribution. For example, a misgiven surname is a surname supplied in error, while a misgiven credit wrongly assigns a piece of work to someone. The word has a literary, somewhat old-fashioned tone and is much less common than mistaken, misnamed, or wrongly attributed. In a second, more specialized use, misgiven can function as the past participle of misgive, meaning having been given a false or misleading impression. This usage is also formal and uncommon. The form belongs to the family of misgive and misgiving, but it should not be confused with the noun misgivings, which means doubts or uneasy feelings. Overall, misgiven is a precise word for an error in naming, attribution, or the communication of information.
Wrongly given, bestowed, or attributed; incorrectly assigned.
"The museum issued a correction after displaying a misgiven title beneath the portrait."
Chiefly literary and uncommon; especially associated with names, titles, credits, and descriptions given in error.
The past participle of misgive, meaning given a false or misleading idea or impression.
"The misleading report had misgiven the public a false sense of the situation."
Rare and formal. This participial sense is usually encountered in literary or historical writing.
A misgiven name is a name that does not belong to the person or thing it labels.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of misgiven
Misgiven combines the prefix mis-, meaning wrongly or incorrectly, with the past participle given. The formation reflects the older English practice of adding mis- to verbs to indicate an incorrect or harmful action, as in other forms such as misgive and mislead. Its modern adjectival sense developed from the idea of a name, title, or other designation being given incorrectly. The word is chiefly literary and survives more often in fixed expressions than in everyday neutral prose.
Related word forms
How misgiven is actually used
The adjective is literary and uncommon in modern English. The participial use in the second sense is also formal and chiefly literary; in ordinary usage, misgiving is more often encountered as a noun meaning doubt or apprehension.
Easily confused with misgiven
A misgiven name or title is incorrectly assigned, whereas misgivings are doubts or uneasy feelings about a situation.
Misgiven is usually an adjective describing something already given incorrectly, while misname is a verb for giving someone or something the wrong name.