mistakenly

Everyday

1. Because of a mistake; wrongly: «He mistakenly took my bag». tree →
2. Believing something that is not true: «Many people mistakenly think bulls hate red». tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life: «I mistakenly sent the message to the wrong person». In science lessons it is used to correct myths: «Some people mistakenly believe that…». In stories it shows a character made an honest error. Phrases: «mistakenly believe», «mistakenly think», «mistakenly took».

Examples

• I mistakenly put salt in my tea instead of sugar. tree →
• Many people mistakenly believe that bulls hate the colour red; they react to movement. tree →
• She mistakenly got on the wrong bus. tree →
• The parcel was mistakenly delivered next door. tree →
• He mistakenly thought the test was tomorrow. tree →
• People once mistakenly thought the Earth was flat – in fact, educated people have known it is round for over 2,000 years. tree →
• The email was mistakenly sent to the whole school. tree →
• The goal was mistakenly ruled out by the referee. tree →
• But the shepherd, returning to the fold during the night to obtain meat for the next day, mistakenly caught up the Wolf instead of a sheep, and killed him instantly. tree →

Note

Adverb from «mistaken» + «-ly». Means by mistake, not on purpose. Similar: wrongly, by mistake, in error. Not a maths word.