Definition

1. Verb:

   • To quote incorrectly: To repeat or copy out words from a text or speech in a way that is not accurate or faithful to the original source. This can involve altering words, omitting context, or attributing words to the wrong person.

2. Noun:

   • An incorrect quotation: A statement or passage that has been inaccurately repeated or cited.

Usage and Examples

• Verb:

  • The journalist was accused of trying to misquote the scientist to make the findings seem more dramatic.
  • It's important not to misquote historical documents when making an argument.

• Noun:

  • The article contained a serious misquote that distorted the CEO's message.
  • She apologized for the misquote in her earlier report.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• Intentional vs. Unintentional: A "misquote" can be either a deliberate act to deceive or manipulate, or an honest mistake due to carelessness or misunderstanding.

  • The controversy stemmed from what appeared to be a deliberate misquote.
  • I apologize for the unintentional misquote; I transcribed my notes incorrectly.

• In Legal and Academic Contexts: Misquoting can have serious consequences, undermining credibility and potentially constituting misconduct.

  • The student's thesis was rejected due to several critical misquotes of source material.

Variants and Related Words

• Misquotation (n): A formal synonym for the noun "misquote," meaning an instance of quoting incorrectly.
  • The book was criticized for its numerous misquotations.

Synonyms

• Misrepresent: To give a false or misleading account of something (broader than misquote, but can include it).
• Misstate: To state something inaccurately.
• Garble: To reproduce (a message, sound, etc.) in a confused and distorted way.

Antonyms

• Quote accurately: To cite something correctly.
• Paraphrase correctly: To express the meaning of something using different words, without distorting it.

Common Phrases and Collocations

• To be misquoted as saying: A common passive construction used when someone claims their words were reported inaccurately.

  • The actor was misquoted as saying he was retiring from film.

• A glaring misquote: An obvious and significant error in quotation.

  • The biography was pulled from shelves after a glaring misquote was discovered.

Noun

1. an incorrect quotation

Verb

1. quote incorrectly
   • He had misquoted the politician