vilseleda

Vilseleda is a Swedish verb meaning to mislead someone, causing them to believe something false or to be led away from the truth. The action is typically intentional deception, not merely making a mistake. It can describe attempts to distort information, omit crucial details, or manipulate others’ beliefs in political, media, advertising, or personal contexts.

Etymology: The word combines vilse-, derived from vilsen meaning lost or off the track, with leda meaning to lead, yielding the sense of leading someone astray.

Usage and grammar: Vilseleda is a transitive verb. It takes a direct object referring to the person or people who are misled. In standard Swedish it is conjugated with a present form vilseleder and a simple past form vilseledde; the perfect tense uses har vilselett.

Context and nuance: The term is typically used for deliberate deception or manipulation, rather than a simple error. It is common in discussions of politics, journalism, marketing, and interpersonal relations. The word can carry a strong connotation of calculated manipulation, though it may be used neutrally in teaching or analysis to describe the act of misleading.

See also: vilseledning, the noun for misdirection or misleading information.