Why are tsunamis sometimes incorrectly called tidal waves?

Tsunamis are frequently and incorrectly referred to as "tidal waves," but this term is a misnomer because these catastrophic events have no connection to tides.21

While tides are periodic, cyclic deformations of the sea surface caused by the gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun, a tsunami is a wave generated by a sudden displacement of a large volume of water. These displacements are typically triggered by submarine earthquakes, underwater or coastal landslides, or volcanic eruptions. Because the physical mechanisms behind tsunamis are entirely distinct from the gravitational processes that drive tidal cycles, the term "tidal wave" is scientifically inaccurate.2341