What does "misconception" mean?

A mistaken belief, a wrong idea.

What is a synonym for "misconception"?

Common synonyms include: fallacy, abuse of terms, airy nothing, autism, bubble, castle in the air.

How do you pronounce "misconception"?

Pronounced //ˌmɪs.kənˈsɛp.ʃən//.

Misconception

//ˌmɪs.kənˈsɛp.ʃən// noun

noun ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun

1
A mistaken belief, a wrong idea. countable, uncountable
"There are several common misconceptions about the theory of relativity."
2
an incorrect conception wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

fallacy abuse of terms airy nothing autism bubble castle in the air

Antonyms

All antonyms

conception

Example

More examples

"A common misconception about Christopher Columbus is that he once impressed a tribe of natives by predicting the lunar eclipse. The truth of the matter is that he CAUSED it."

Etymology

From mis- + conception.

Related phrases

faulty idea wrong idea

More for "misconception"

Synonyms Sentences Pronunciation Translate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonyms See usage examples Check pronunciation Browse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.