misrepresentation

Everyday

1. Giving a false or twisted picture of something, so people believe what is not true. tree →
2. (formal, law) A false statement that tricks someone into a deal or a contract. tree →
3. A drawing, chart or story that shows something wrongly. tree →

In the lessons

In school it appears in media lessons, history and data: a graph with a stretched axis is a misrepresentation of the numbers. In everyday life and safety it warns of adverts and scams that twist the truth. Phrases: a misrepresentation of the facts, gross misrepresentation.

Examples

• The advert was a misrepresentation; the toy was much smaller. tree →
• Our teacher showed us a graph that was a misrepresentation of the data. tree →
• Calling the match a disaster is a misrepresentation; we only lost by one goal. tree →
• The company was fined for misrepresentation. tree →
• That film is a misrepresentation of how Vikings lived. tree →
• It is misrepresentation to say everyone agreed when only three did. tree →

Note

From mis- (wrongly) + represent + -ation. Verb: misrepresent (misrepresented). It can be on purpose (a lie) or by mistake. In maths and data, look for cut-off axes or chosen numbers that make a difference look bigger than it is.