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Difficulty: EasyCommon Prefixes

The inspector noticed that the contractor had miscalculated the total weight of the cargo. In this sentence, what does the word miscalculated mean?

  1. A
    Estimated far in advance
  2. Calculated incorrectlyAnswer
  3. C
    Determined with exact precision
  4. D
    Combined multiple calculations

Answer

Calculated incorrectly
The correct definition is 'Calculated incorrectly' because the common prefix 'mis-' attaches to verbs and nouns to signify wrongness or error. Combining 'mis-' with 'calculated' yields the meaning of making an arithmetic or judgment error.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Isolate the prefix and the base word in 'miscalculated'
The prefix is 'mis-' and the base word is 'calculated'
Breaking the word into its morphological components helps reveal its structural meaning.
2
Apply the meaning of the common prefix 'mis-' to the base word
'mis-' means wrongly, badly, or mistakenly; therefore, 'miscalculated' means calculated wrongly or incorrectly
Prefixes modify the root word's core definition in predictable ways.

Key Concept

The prefix 'mis-' conveys the meaning of wrongly, badly, or mistakenly when attached to a base word.
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Topics

Common Prefixes

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