WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
mis-,1 prefix.
-mis-, root.
- mis- is attached to nouns, verbs, and adjectives and means:
- mistaken;
wrong;
wrongly;
incorrectly:mis- + trial → mistrial (= a trial conducted improperly);mis- + print → misprint (= something incorrectly printed);mis- + fire → misfire: (= fail to fire properly). - the opposite of:mis- + trust → mistrust (= the opposite of trust).
- mistaken;
-mis-, root.
- -mis- comes from Latin, where it has the meaning "send.'' It is related to -mit-. This meaning is found in such words as: admission, commissar, commissary, commission, compromise, demise, dismiss, emissary, impermissible, intermission, missal, missile, mission, missionary, missive, omission, permission, permissive, promise, promissory, remiss, submission, submissive, surmise, transmission.
'-mis-' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
amiss
- commis
- gourami
- mis-
- mischief
- miscreant
- miso-
- misprision
- misprize
- mis-sell
- Sámi
- swami
- tsunami
- air-launched cruise missile
- Antiballistic Missile Treaty
- antimissile
- antimissile missile
- ballet mistress
- ballistic missile
- Cheremis
- elemi
- fleet ballistic missile submarine
- foreign mission
- guided missile
- guided missile cruiser
- headmistress
- home mission
- inner mission
- intercontinental ballistic missile
- intermediate range ballistic missile
- Komi
- letter missive
- malicious mischief
- management information system
- mésalliance
- MIS
- misaccused
- misadapt
- misadaptation
- misaddress
- misadjudicated
- misadjust
- misadjusted
- misadjustment
- misadministration
- misadventure
- misadvise
- misaligned
- misallegation
- misallege