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; -ic, -ism

Example Sentences

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

Politicians of all stripes have used opponents’ solecisms to question their intelligence since time immemorial.

From Seattle Times

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

From New York Times

The text is garnished liberally with “sic”s and symbols, typos and solecisms, spellings inconsistent and incoherent.

From Washington Post

For all the dash and raciness of his English, he has a way of lapsing into solecisms, some of which are rather astonishing in view of his general sophistication.

From The New Yorker