'misdescribe' originates from the prefix 'mis-' meaning 'wrongly' and the verb 'describe' from Latin 'describere', where 'de-' meant 'down' and 'scribere' meant 'to write'.

'misdescribe' evolved from the combination of 'mis-' and 'describe', maintaining its meaning of incorrect description.

Initially, it meant 'to write down wrongly', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.