misdirection
/ˌmɪsdʌɪˈrɛkʃ(ə)n
/ /mɪsdɪˈrɛkʃ(ə)n /noun
1 [mass noun] The action or process of directing someone to the wrong place or in the wrong direction: the deliberate misdirection that had put me off the track [count noun]: misdirections given by the coastguard to rescue services
1.1The wrong or inappropriate use or application of something: the misdirection of government funding [count noun]: wasteful misdirections of production
2 [count noun] A wrong instruction given by a judge to a jury: he won his appeal on the basis of a misdirection by the trial judge
