definitions

solecism

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

a nonstandard or ungrammatical usage, as unflammable and they was.
a breach of good manners or etiquette.
any error, impropriety, or inconsistency.

RELATED WORDS

impropriety, blunder, abuse, error, barbarism, mistake, incongruity, blooper, slip, misusage, cacology

Nearby words

sole, sole custody, sole trader, sole-charge school, sole-source, solecism, solely, solemn, solemn high mass, solemn league and covenant, solemn mass

Origin of solecism

1570–80; < Latin soloecismus < Greek soloikismós, equivalent to sóloik(os) (Sólo(i) a city in Cilicia where a corrupt form of Attic Greek was spoken + -ikos -ic) + -ismos -ism

Related forms

sol·e·cist, nounsol·e·cis·tic, sol·e·cis·ti·cal, adjectivesol·e·cis·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Can be confused

solecism solipsism
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for solecism

British Dictionary definitions for solecism

solecism

/ (ˈsɒlɪˌsɪzəm) /

noun

  1. the nonstandard use of a grammatical construction
  2. any mistake, incongruity, or absurdity
a violation of good manners

Derived Forms

solecist, nounsolecistic or solecistical, adjectivesolecistically, adverb

Word Origin for solecism

C16: from Latin soloecismus, from Greek soloikismos, from soloikos speaking incorrectly, from Soloi an Athenian colony of Cilicia where the inhabitants spoke a corrupt form of Greek
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012