misperceive

verb

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mey-? Proto-Indo-European *meyth₂-der. Proto-Germanic *missaz Proto-Germanic *missa- Proto-West Germanic *missa- Old English mis- Middle English mys- English mis- English perceive English misperceive From mis- + perceive.

1. To perceive erroneously.

   “The second reason so many people initially misperceived George W.”