misinformation
/ˌmɪsˌɪnfərˈmeɪʃən/
Very CommonFalse or inaccurate information that spreads without the intent to deceive.
The intent distinction from disinformation matters a lot in journalism and policy. Online, most people use misinformation loosely for any false claim regardless of intent.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | that post is pure misinformation, the actual number is way lower | The shared statistic is wrong. | x, 2024 |
| 02 | my aunt keeps sharing misinformation about health stuff and i don't know how to stop it | A family member is spreading false health claims without realizing they are false. | reddit, 2023 |
| 03 | this is how misinformation spreads. one wrong tweet, 50k retweets, correction gets 200 | False information spreads far faster than corrections, because the original is more emotionally engaging. | x, 2024 |
| 04 | the platform barely enforces its misinformation policy unless it goes completely viral | Platforms do not consistently remove false content until it has already done significant damage. | reddit, 2024 |
Use it when
- Describing false information being shared by people who genuinely believe it.
- Discussing the spread of inaccurate claims on social media.
- Referring to platform policies around false content.
- Explaining why a viral claim is wrong without accusing anyone of deliberate deception.
Do not use it when
- The false information was deliberately crafted to deceive.Use “disinformation” instead.
- The claim is an opinion or interpretation rather than a factual statement.
Misinformation vs disinformation
misinformation
Misinformation is false content shared without intent to deceive. The sharer believes it.
VS
disinformation
Disinformation is false content deliberately created and spread to mislead.
Origin and context
From the Latin 'mis' (wrongly) plus 'information'. Academic and journalistic use long predates social media. The term gained major mainstream use during the 2016 US election cycle and peaked again during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- First seen
- 20th century
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/misinformationUpdated: 2026-08-29License: CC BY 4.0