politically incorrect
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- political incorrectness noun
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
Its editors are proudly politically incorrect, and some articles seem rather, well, dated.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 29, 2024
"People see him as someone authentic who says what he really thinks even if what he says is politically incorrect," says Ana Iparraguirre.
From BBC • Oct. 20, 2023
My people tell me, “Sir, that’s politically incorrect to say.”
From New York Times • Nov. 16, 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.
