politically incorrect
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of politically incorrect
1875–80 (in the sense “mocking convention”); 1975–80 for the more recent meaning, which evolved from earlier Communist uses in the 1920s
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“For even longer, Bill has been influencing American discourse — one politically incorrect joke at a time.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026
Greg, clueless about just how politically incorrect he can be without even trying, gets chastised several times, though the circumstances are deliberately exaggerated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
His dark-humoured, politically incorrect, quickfire rhyming style brought something new to the game, and he went on to play a version of himself in the rap battle movie 8 Mile.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2023
A statement on its website says it is “known for its editorial feistiness” and “was politically incorrect long before the phrase was coined.”
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 16, 2023
In Artforum, the critic Glenn O’Brien retorted: “Perhaps what makes these works politically incorrect is not that they are unbelievable but that they are, in fact, very believable.”
From New York Times ● Nov. 3, 2022
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
