solecism

[ sol-uh-siz-uh m, soh-luh- ]
/ ˈsɒl əˌsɪz əm, ˈsoʊ lə- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR solecism ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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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

OTHER WORDS FROM solecism

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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH solecism

solecism solipsism

Words nearby solecism

sole, sole custody, sole trader, sole-charge school, sole-source, solecism, solely, solemn, solemn high mass, solemn league and covenant, solemn mass
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to solecism

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

Example sentences 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 of solecism

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