mistaken purpose
[mɪˈsteɪkən ˈpɜrpəs]
noun phrasepl: mistaken purposes
propósito equivocado
1. An incorrect or misguided intention; a wrong objective or aim that someone believes is correct
He went to the meeting with a mistaken purpose, thinking it was about a different project.
Ele foi à reunião com um propósito equivocado, achando que era sobre um projeto diferente.
2. An action undertaken for reasons that are later discovered to be incorrect or based on false assumptions
The renovation was done with a mistaken purpose after they discovered the building wasn't being sold.
A renovação foi feita com um propósito equivocado depois que descobriram que o prédio não seria vendido.
This phrase is commonly used in both American English and Brazilian Portuguese in professional and educational contexts to describe situations where someone's intentions or goals were based on incorrect information or false assumptions. It's often used diplomatically to explain errors without assigning blame.
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