witticism
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of witticism
1645–55; derivative of witty, modeled on criticism
Explanation
Witticism describes something funny that someone says, like a pun or little joke. You may have heard that it is good to start off a speech with witticism because if you make the audience laugh, it'll help them — and you — relax. English playwright and poet John Dryden coined the word witticism in the 17th century, combining the words witty and criticism to come up with a word to describe a clever quip that has a hint of sharpness or irony. A witticism is typically a one-liner that humorously sums up the current situation — with a little bit of attitude thrown in.
Vocabulary lists containing witticism
100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
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The Jungle
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The Awakening
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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.
That kind of anguished, not-funny witticism is another commonplace of the American educated classes: OMG, what has happened to this country?
From Salon ● May 31, 2026
“It’s a witticism, which is fine as a witticism,” Muñoz Machado told Spanish news agency EFE.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 26, 2023
This old bit of showbiz witticism from W.C.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2023
“When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?” is a witticism attributed frequently but inaccurately to the great 20th-century British economist John Maynard Keynes.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 7, 2020
You will perhaps appreciate then my disappointment concerning my witticism yesterday evening.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
