misperceive
UK[ˌmɪspəˈsiːv]US[ˌmɪspərˈsiːv]
v
to understand or interpret something incorrectly or mistakenly.
Morpheme Breakdown
mis
perceive
mis
wrongly
perceive
to become aware of through the senses
Etymology
the word 'misperceive' is a modern english formation that combines the old english prefix 'mis-', indicating error or fault, with the verb 'perceive', which has a rich history tracing back to latin. the latin verb 'percipere' itself is a compound of 'per-' (thoroughly) and 'capere' (to take, seize), conveying the idea of taking in information completely. this literal sense of 'seizing thoroughly' evolved into the abstract meaning of becoming aware or understanding. therefore, 'misperceive' logically follows this path, meaning to 'take in' or understand something in a wrong or faulty manner.
Analysis
Structure: mis (wrongly) + perceive (to become aware of through the senses)
mis- (from old english, a prefix meaning 'badly, wrongly'); perceive (from latin percipere, meaning 'to seize, understand', from per- 'thoroughly' + capere 'to take').
Examples
it is easy to misperceive his quiet demeanor as a lack of interest.
the optical illusion caused many viewers to misperceive the object's true size.
cultural differences can lead people to misperceive each other's intentions.