When describing suspicious information online, people often use several terms interchangeably: misinformation, disinformation, propaganda.

Though they seem similar, these terms actually answer very different questions about a piece of content or information. Malinformation isn't widely used, but it describes an important aspect of identifying weaponized information.

This guide breaks down each term.

Quick Comparison

In short: disinformation is false and deliberate, misinformation is false and unwitting, and malinformation is true but weaponized.

What Is Disinformation?

Disinformation is false or misleading information created and spread with intent to deceive. The key here is intent; it’s only disinformation if the person behind it knew the information was false and spread it anyway.

Example of disinformation: A coordinated network of fake accounts publishes a fabricated story claiming a political candidate said something they did not.

It’s important to note that disinformation describes the source, not everyone who later shares the content. A journalist who shares a fabricated story to inform readers isn't spreading disinformation; the original fabricator is.

What Is Misinformation?

Misinformation is false or misleading information shared without intent to deceive. It can be identical, word for word, to a piece of disinformation, but shared without any malintent.

Example of misinformation: A user sees a fabricated story, believes it's true, and reposts it to warn friends and family.

Often, a false claim can be disinformation when it’s shared originally, but then it turns into misinformation at every subsequent share. Because misinformation depends on what the sharer believed, applying the label accurately requires evidence about intent, not just about the falsity of the claim.

What Is Malinformation?

Malinformation is true or accurate information shared with intent to harm, through selective release, hostile framing, or weaponized timing. It's perhaps the most effective form of information warfare.

Example of malinformation: A hack-and-leak operation releases genuine private emails, timed to maximize damage to a candidate days before an election.

Malinformation also shows up in smaller forms. Some examples include: genuine video clips edited to remove important context, accurate statistics presented in isolation to support a conclusion the full data wouldn't, a real quote spliced to imply something the speaker didn't mean. In each case, the underlying claim is true, but selection and framing are coordinated and done with the intent to cause harm.

Calling this activity "disinformation" is inaccurate and gives the bad actors an easy way to discredit any attempts to refute their actions, since they can point out, correctly, that the content is genuine.

Is "Fake News" the Same as Disinformation?

No. "Fake news" doesn't distinguish between a fabricated story, a genuine mistake, an opinion the reader dislikes, or a true story reported unfavorably. Researchers and analysts generally avoid the term for serious work because it functions as an expression of distrust rather than a defined category.

What Is Propaganda?

Propaganda is one-sided, persuasive communication from an identifiable source, aimed at shaping opinion or behavior in the source's favor. Unlike the three terms above, it doesn’t matter if propaganda is true or false since the goal is to persuade.

Example of propaganda: A state broadcaster runs a campaign praising a new policy, presenting only supportive testimonials and favorable statistics while leaving out criticism.

The other distinguishing feature of propaganda is that propaganda it's typically overt. The source doesn't hide who it is or that it's trying to persuade. This sets it apart from disinformation and malinformation, which usually work by concealing the source or the intent behind the content. Propaganda can absolutely contain disinformation, for instance if it includes fabricated claims, but it can also be entirely truthful and still count as propaganda.

Why Using These Terms Correctly Matters

Mislabeling a piece of harmful content creates a gap between the label and what's actually happening. That gap makes it harder for defenders to counter influence operations accurately.

Calling it disinformation when someone mistakenly shares a false post overstates what happened and can damage the credibility of the response. Labeling a genuine leak as disinformation makes it harder to mitigate the damage since the leaked material is genuine.

The three terms hinge on two questions: whether the content is true or false, and whether it was shared to deceive, to harm, or in good faith. Disinformation and misinformation hold falsity constant and split on intent. Malinformation holds truth constant and asks about harm.