misperception.

1. An inaccurate perception or interpretation of what the senses present.

2. A mistaken understanding or belief about a person, situation, or idea.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• a visual misperception
• a moment of misperception

On the page

A visual misperception turned the hanging coat into someone waiting by the door.

She tested whether the footsteps had been a misperception before opening the hatch.

Usage notes

Primary category: horror. Forms: Singular misperception; plural misperceptions. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.