misventure: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1+Literary, Archaic, Formal
Quick answer
What does “misventure” mean?
An unfortunate or unlucky event.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An unfortunate or unlucky event; a misadventure or mishap.
A misfortune or instance of bad luck, often implying an unintended or unfortunate outcome from an undertaking or journey.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The word is archaic and equally rare in both varieties. No significant syntactic or semantic differences exist.
Connotations
In both varieties, it connotes a literary, historical, or deliberately formal/elevated tone.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both. 'Misadventure' is the vastly more common modern term in legal and general contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “misventure” in a Sentence
suffer + misventuretell of + misventurea misventure + befell + someoneVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “misventure” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- [The word 'misventure' is not standardly used as a verb.]
American English
- [The word 'misventure' is not standardly used as a verb.]
adverb
British English
- [The word 'misventure' is not standardly used as an adverb.]
American English
- [The word 'misventure' is not standardly used as an adverb.]
adjective
British English
- [The word 'misventure' is not standardly used as an adjective.]
American English
- [The word 'misventure' is not standardly used as an adjective.]
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might be used in historical business narratives to describe a failed commercial enterprise.
Academic
Very rare. May appear in literary or historical analyses of older texts.
Everyday
Almost never used. 'Mishap' or 'problem' would be used instead.
Technical
Not used in modern technical contexts. 'Misadventure' is the legal/technical term.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “misventure”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “misventure”
- Using it in casual conversation where 'mishap' is appropriate.
- Confusing it with 'adventure'.
- Misspelling as 'misadventure' (which is the correct modern form).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is very rare and considered archaic or literary. 'Misadventure' is the standard modern term.
They are synonyms, but 'misadventure' is the term used in modern English, including in legal contexts (e.g., 'death by misadventure'). 'Misventure' is an older, now mostly obsolete form.
Only if you are aiming for a deliberately archaic, poetic, or historical tone. In most contemporary formal writing, 'misadventure', 'mishap', or 'misfortune' would be more appropriate.
No, there is no standard verb form derived from 'misventure'.
An unfortunate or unlucky event.
Misventure: in British English it is pronounced /ˌmɪsˈvɛn.tʃə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌmɪsˈvɛn.tʃɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms specific to 'misventure']”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'venture' (an enterprise) that goes 'amis' (wrong) = MIS-VENTURE.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS A JOURNEY / AN ENTERPRISE. A misventure is a wrong turn or a failed stage of that journey.
Practice
Quiz
'Misventure' is best described as: