mischaracterization
An innocent lapse of memory may be mischaracterised as an intentional lie.
He claims to have been misunderstood, misquoted, and mischaracterized.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Defining & explaining
account (to someone) for something
accountability
adumbrate
adumbration
annotation
annotator
belabour
demythologize
disabuse
extenuate
indefinably
indescribably
inexpressibly
justificatory
lay something out
outline
sketch
spell
trace
what is he, are they, etc. like?idiom