misstate

Everyday

(formal) To say or write something wrongly or falsely, such as facts or numbers, by mistake or on purpose. tree →

In the lessons

It is a formal word, often used in news, law and business: «the company misstated its profits» means it reported the wrong numbers. In school, if you misstate a fact in an essay, your argument may fall apart. Everyday words: «get wrong», «say wrongly». Phrases: «misstate the facts», «misstated figures».

Examples

• The report misstated the number of pupils at the school. tree →
• He misstated the date of the battle in his essay. tree →
• The company misstated its profits and got into trouble. tree →
• Please check your notes so you don't misstate the facts. tree →
• The article misstated what the scientist had found. tree →
• She was careful not to misstate the rules of the game. tree →
• The sign misstated the opening times. tree →
• If you misstate a number in step one, every later answer will be wrong. tree →

Note

Regular verb: misstated. Spelling: double s (mis + state). Noun: misstatement. Formal word, from the exam and news voice. In maths, a misstated number in a problem changes the answer.