misemphasize

English

Etymology

mis- +‎ emphasize

Verb

misemphasize (third-person singular simple present misemphasizes, present participle misemphasizing, simple past and past participle misemphasized)

1. To emphasize incorrectly or inappropriately.
   • 1898, Proceedings of The Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools Annual Convention, page 105:

     But the widespread interest in intercollegiate debating and proper gratitude for what it has done to stimulate a study of the different forms of public discourse have led undergraduates, graduates, and even teachers, I think, greatly to misemphasize its importance in the field of study under discussion this morning — public discourse.

   • 1997, Dan B. Dobbs, Paul T. Hayden, Torts and Compensation, page 14:

     Instructions must accurately state the law, and must not mislead the jury or misemphasize some element.

   • 2020, John P. McCormick, Reading Machiavelli, page 41:

     Recent reformers like St. Dominic and St. Francis, he suggests, misemphasize certain aspects of the Christian religion: they emphasize the poverty and self-abnegation of Christ's life and preach the deferring of punishment for the wicked