- (usually predicative)
wrong in opinion, judgment, etc: she is mistaken arising from error in judgment, opinion, etc: a mistaken viewpoint
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
mis•tak•en /mɪˈsteɪkən/USA pronunciation
adj.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026- wrongly thought or done:a mistaken notion.
- being in error;
wrong:If you think you'll get away with this, you are mistaken.
mis•take /mɪˈsteɪk/USA pronunciation
n., v., -took, -tak•en, -tak•ing.
n. [countable]
v.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026n. [countable]
- an error in action or judgment caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, etc.:too many mistakes in grammar.
v.
- to identify wrongly as something or someone else:[~ + object + for + object]I mistook her for the mayor.
- to understand or judge wrongly:[~ + object]I must have mistaken the date.
- by mistake, accidentally:set off the alarm by mistake.
mis•tak•en
(mi stā′kən),USA pronunciation adj.
mis•tak′en•ly, adv.
mis•tak′en•ness, n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- wrongly conceived, held, or done:a mistaken antagonism.
- erroneous;
incorrect;
wrong:a mistaken answer. - having made a mistake;
being in error.
- 1590–1600; past participle of mistake; see -en3
mis•tak′en•ness, n.
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged inaccurate, misconceived.
mis•take
(mi stāk′),USA pronunciation n., v., -took, -tak•en, -tak•ing.
n.
v.t.
v.i.
mis•tak′er, n.
mis•tak′ing•ly, adv.
n.
- an error in action, calculation, opinion, or judgment caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, insufficient knowledge, etc.
- a misunderstanding or misconception.
- Idiomsand no mistake, for certain;
surely:He's an honorable person, and no mistake.
v.t.
- to regard or identify wrongly as something or someone else:I mistook him for the mayor.
- to understand, interpret, or evaluate wrongly;
misunderstand;
misinterpret.
v.i.
- to be in error.
- Old Norse mistaka to take in error. See mis-1, take
- Middle English mistaken (verb, verbal) 1300–30
mis•tak′ing•ly, adv.
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged inaccuracy, erratum, fault, oversight. Mistake, blunder, error, slip refer to deviations from right, accuracy, correctness, or truth. A mistake, grave or trivial, is caused by bad judgment or a disregard of rule or principle:It was a mistake to argue.A blunder is a careless, stupid, or gross mistake in action or speech, suggesting awkwardness, heedlessness, or ignorance:Through his blunder the message was lost.An error (often interchanged with mistake) is an unintentional wandering or deviation from accuracy, or right conduct:an error in addition.A slip is usually a minor mistake made through haste or carelessness:a slip of the tongue.
- 5.See corresponding entry in Unabridged misconceive, misjudge, err.
- 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged understanding.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
an error or blunder in action, opinion, or judgment a misconception or misunderstanding
- (transitive)
to misunderstand; misinterpret: she mistook his meaning - (transitive) followed by for:
to take (for), interpret (as), or confuse (with): she mistook his direct manner for honesty - (transitive)
to choose badly or incorrectly: he mistook his path - (intransitive)
to make a mistake in action, opinion, judgment, etc
'be mistaken' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):