misinformation
n.false or incorrect information that is shared, even if the person sharing it does not mean to trick you.
n.false or inaccurate information that is spread, regardless of an intent to deceive. Often contrasted with 'disinformation', which implies a deliberate attempt to mislead.
“The article was full of misinformation about the new law.”
“Social media platforms struggle to stop the spread of misinformation during election cycles when false stories go viral quickly.”
“While some errors are honest mistakes, the cumulative effect of misinformation can erode public trust in scientific institutions and complicate the implementation of necessary health policies.”
Misinformation is uncountable and does not have a plural form; use 'pieces of misinformation' if you need to count individual instances.
“Research suggests that conflicting information , along with misinformation, contributes to declining vaccination rates.”
“In addition, at least a dozen facilities treating Ebola have been attacked , largely due to fear, misinformation and deep community mistrust of outside authorities .”
Common in health writing
From mis- + information.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.