BharatNotes Misinformation
noun (uncountable)Usage in a UPSC answer
In an era of viral social media, the State's challenge is to curb the misinformation that distorts public health responses and inflames communal tensions, without sliding into censorship that throttles legitimate dissent.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
misinformation (n), misinform (v), misinformed (adj), disinformation (n), misinforming (v pres.p)
Root
Old English/Latin mis- = wrongly, badly + Latin informatio = conception, idea; informare = to form, shape
Etymology
Formed from the prefix mis- ("wrongly, badly") + information; attested in English from the late 16th century.
Memory Hook
MIS- (wrong) + INFORMATION = wrongly informed. Think of being "missed" by the truth: the information has gone astray. Note the contrast with disinformation, which is deliberate; misinformation may simply be mistaken.
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