misattribute
/ˌmɪsəˈtrɪbjuːt/
verb
- To incorrectly say that someone or something is the cause, source, or creator of something.
- Many people misattribute the quote to Shakespeare, but it was actually written by a lesser-known poet.
- The scientist warned that we might misattribute the rise in temperature to natural cycles instead of human activity.
- It's easy to misattribute a child's bad behavior to laziness when it could be a sign of stress.
Synonyms