misprision

English

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Anglo-Norman (deprecated template usage) mesprison, (deprecated template usage) mesprisioun et al., from (deprecated template usage) mespris + (deprecated template usage) -ion.

Noun

misprision (plural misprisions)

1. Template:legal Criminal neglect of duty or wrongful execution of official duties.
2. Misinterpretation or misunderstanding.
   • 1595, Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, III - 2

     What hast thou done? thou hast mistaken quite

     And laid the love-juice on some true-love's sight:

     Of thy misprision must perforce ensue

     Some true love turn'd and not a false turn'd true.

   • 1984, Martin Amis, Money, Vintage 2005, p. 331:

     they have what men call self-belief and blame you for your misprisions in their dreams, they are conspiracy theorists, benevolent dictators [...].

Translations

misinterpretation or misunderstanding

• Russian: ошибка (ru) f (ošíbka), недооценка (ru) f (nedoocénka), ошибочная (ošibočnaja) оценка (ocenka) (ošíbočnaja océnka)Template:f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Related terms

• misprision of felony
• misprision of treason

Usage notes

Negative misprision is misprision by neglect of duty, notably a duty to report information about a felony or treason. Positive misprision is maladministration or the commission of other serious offence falling short of actual felony or treason.