Definition

An incorrect assignment of something to a source or cause.

Example

The misattribution of the quote led to confusion about its true author.

Conversation

I read an interesting article about misattribution in psychology.

Oh really? What did it say?

It explained how people often confuse the source of their memories, leading to misattribution of events.

That sounds fascinating! I guess it impacts how we remember things.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Misattribution → It is formed from "mis-" (meaning wrongly) and "attributio" (from Latin "attribuere", meaning to assign or to attribute). The word describes the act of wrongly assigning a cause or source to something.

Memory Tip

Think of 'wrongly' ('mis-') assigning something ('attributio') — that's why misattribution means incorrectly attributing something.

Visually Confused Words