'misdescription' originates from English, formed by the prefix 'mis-' (from Old English 'mis-' meaning 'wrong' or 'badly') and 'description' (from Latin 'descriptio'), where 'de-' meant 'down' and 'scribere' meant 'to write'.

'description' came into English via Latin 'descriptio' and Old French 'description' and then Middle English 'description'; the prefix 'mis-' is inherited from Old English. The modern compound 'misdescription' is a straightforward combination of these elements in English.

Initially, 'description' meant 'a writing down' or 'an act of writing'; over time it evolved to mean 'an account or representation in words.' With the prefix 'mis-' the compound now specifically denotes an incorrect or misleading account.