# misleading

/mɪˈsɫidɪŋ/ (US) · /mɪslˈiːdɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/misleading
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. deceptive

adjective · CEFR B2

giving a wrong idea or impression, often on purpose.

For teachers: tending to lead into error of conduct or thought; creating a false impression through omission or distortion.

- The advertisement was misleading because it didn't mention the extra costs.
- The statistics presented in the report were technically accurate but highly misleading, as they ignored the broader economic context of the region.

### 3. the act of deception

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the act of making someone believe something that is not true.

For teachers: the act or instance of leading someone into a false belief or incorrect course of action.

- The lawyer argued that the misleading of the jury was intentional.
- The deliberate misleading of the committee resulted in a complete breakdown of trust between the two departments.

## Examples

- The advertisement for the cheap car was very misleading.
- The company was fined for using misleading labels that suggested the product was organic when it was not.
- While the statistics presented in the report were technically accurate, the selective omission of historical data created a misleading narrative about the project's overall success.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.