solecism

American  

[sol-uh-siz-uhm, soh-luh-] / ˈsɒl əˌsɪz əm, ˈsoʊ lə- /

noun

1. a nonstandard or ungrammatical usage, as unflammable and they was.

2. a breach of good manners or etiquette.

3. any error, impropriety, or inconsistency.

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solecism British  

/ ˈsɒlɪˌsɪzəm /

noun

1. 1. the nonstandard use of a grammatical construction

   2. any mistake, incongruity, or absurdity

2. a violation of good manners

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Other Word Forms

• solecist noun
• solecistic adjective
• solecistical adjective
• solecistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of solecism

First recorded in 1570–80; from Latin soloecismus “grammatical mistake,” from Greek soloikismós “incorrect use of language” (whether of individual words or in syntax), equivalent to sóloik(os), adjective formed from Sólo(i) (a city in Cilicia founded by Doric-speaking Greeks from Rhodes, whose local dialect Athenians considered corrupt) + -ik(os) + -ismos; see -ic, -ism

Explanation

Ever snore at the opera? Burp at the dinner table? Forget your mom's birthday? Probably all three, right? Well, don't worry. Instead of just screwing up, what you did was commit a solecism. Sounds kinda neat that way, huh? The origin of solecism comes from the ancient Greek word meaning "speaking incorrectly," and solecism does have another meaning that's more specifically verbal. If you say something incorrectly, or make a grammatical error in writing, that's also a solecism. It can be just as mortifying as burping at the dinner table. Well, almost.

Example Sentences

The grammatical solecism of the title isn’t the only vaguely—or not so vaguely—irksome element of “The Disappear,” a new play written and directed by Erica Schmidt being presented at the Minetta Lane Theatre.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

There isn’t space here or time for me to list every solecism in the piece, so I will focus on some of the most egregious errors.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 24, 2023

Search online and you will not find an image of Prince Philip committing a style solecism.

From New York Times • Apr. 9, 2021

An egregious linguistic solecism vitiated the otherwise well-written and informative March 5 news article “Ben Carson to leave HUD at end of Trump’s term.”

From Washington Post • Mar. 15, 2019

A man so conventional, so scrupulously correct as the Director—and to commit so gross a solecism!

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley