What does misreported mean?
Misreported describes information that has been presented inaccurately, whether through a mistaken figure, a false quotation, a distorted account, or an error in a report. It is especially common in journalism, academic research, business, and public statements, where the credibility of the source matters. As a verb, misreported means to report something incorrectly; as a participial adjective, it modifies the thing that was reported, such as misreported statistics or a misreported case. The word is often stronger and more formal than simply saying that something was reported incorrectly, and it can suggest a serious failure of verification without necessarily proving intent to deceive. It is also distinct from unreported, which means that something was not reported at all.
Incorrectly reported, stated, or represented.
"The newspaper corrected its misreported account of the protest."
Common in journalism, research, business, and official contexts.
To report something inaccurately or falsely.
"Several witnesses said the newspaper had misreported their testimony."
The past tense and past participle are normally used: misreported, misreporting.
Misreported can make a false detail look official: the report may be genuine, but the information inside it is wrong.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does misreported come from?
The word combines the prefix mis-, meaning wrongly or incorrectly, with report. Report comes through Old French from the Latin reportare, meaning to carry back or announce. The prefix has long been used in English to form words such as mislead and misrepresent, and misreported follows that established pattern of indicating an erroneous or distorted report.
Related word forms
How misreported is actually used
The word is especially common in journalism, research, business, and official reporting. It is more formal than simply saying that something was reported incorrectly, and it often implies that a source or document contained an error rather than that information was deliberately falsified.
Easily confused with misreported
Misreported means that something was reported but incorrectly, whereas unreported means that it was not reported at all.