mis ‧ di ‧ rect /ˌmɪsdəˈrekt, ˌmɪsdɪˈrekt, -daɪ-/ BrE AmE verb [transitive usually in passive]
1 . formal to use your effort, energy, abilities etc on doing the wrong thing:
Without well-defined goals, it is likely that efforts will be misdirected.
Their criticism is misdirected.
2 . if a judge misdirects a ↑ jury (=the group of people who decide a legal case) , he or she gives them incorrect information about the law
3 . formal to send someone or something to the wrong place
misdirect somebody/something to something
Our mail was misdirected to the wrong street.
—misdirection /-ˈrekʃ ə n/ noun [uncountable]