an understanding of something that is not correct
"he wasn't going to admit his mistake"
"make no mistake about his intentions"
"there must be some misunderstanding--I don't have a sister"
An error; a blunder.
"He realized that signing the contract without reading it was a serious mistake."
In plain English: A mistake is when you do something wrong by accident instead of on purpose.
"She made a mistake on her math test by adding instead of subtracting."
Usage: Use "mistake" as a noun to describe an unintentional error or action done by accident rather than on purpose. It typically refers to a specific slip in judgment or execution that deviates from what was intended or correct.
To understand wrongly, taking one thing or person for another.
"I thought you were my brother when I waved at him from across the street."
In plain English: To make a mistake is to accidentally do something wrong or say something incorrect.
"She often mistakes his name when she is trying to remember it."
Usage: Use the verb mistake to indicate that you have incorrectly identified someone or something, such as mistaking your friend for an actor. This term specifically describes the act of confusing one entity for another rather than simply making a general error.
The word mistake comes from Middle English, which borrowed it from Old Norse for the meaning "to take in error." It is formed by combining the prefix mis- with the verb take.