Standard Lemma guide

solecism

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈsɒlɪsɪzəm/
  • General-American: /ˈsɑləsɪzəm/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈsoʊlɪsɪzəm/
  • General-American: [ˈsoʊlɨsɪzəm]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An error or improper usage.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: aberration, bloomer, blooper, blunder, boner, boo-boo, break, clanger, cock-up, disadventure, error, fault, faux pas, floater, flub, fluff, fuckup, gaffe, goof, howler, inaccuracy, lapse, lapsus, mess-up, misadventure, misstep, mistake, oopsy, screwup, slip, slip-up, slipup, stumble, thinko, wrength, solecism, erroneity

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An error or improper usage.

An error in the use of language.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: aberration, bloomer, blooper, blunder, boner, boo-boo, break, clanger, cock-up, disadventure, error, fault, faux pas, floater, flub, fluff, fuckup, gaffe, goof, howler, inaccuracy, lapse, lapsus, mess-up, misadventure, misstep, mistake, oopsy, screwup, slip, slip-up, slipup, stumble, thinko, wrength, solecism, erroneity

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An error or improper usage.

A faux pas or breach of etiquette; a transgression against the norms of expected behavior.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1778, Fanny Burney, Evelina: Or the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World, Letter LXVIII: EVELINA TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS. Clifton, Sept. 28th., "Best young woman!" repeated Mr. Lovel; "'pon honour, Jack, you have made a most unfortunate speech; however, if Lady Louisa can pardon you,-and her Ladyship is all goodness,-I am sure nobody else can; for you have committed an outrageous solecism in good manners."

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: aberration, bloomer, blooper, blunder, boner, boo-boo, break, clanger, cock-up, disadventure, error, fault, faux pas, floater, flub, fluff, fuckup, gaffe, goof, howler, inaccuracy, lapse, lapsus, mess-up, misadventure, misstep, mistake, oopsy, screwup, slip, slip-up, slipup, stumble, thinko, wrength, solecism, erroneity

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a socially awkward or tactless act

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: faux pas, gaffe, slip, gaucherie

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: blunder, blooper, bloomer, bungle, pratfall, foul-up, fuckup, flub, botch, boner, boo-boo

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French solecisme, soloëcisme (French solécisme) or its etymon Latin soloecismus, from Ancient Greek σολοικισμός (soloikismós), from σόλοικος (sóloikos, “speaking incorrectly”), from Σόλοι (Sóloi), an ancient Athenian colony in Cilicia whose inhabitants spoke a dialect regarded by Athenians as a corrupted and barbarous form of Attic Greek. Compare Atticism.

Across languages

Translations

39 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: Solesisme — error in the use of language
  • Arabic: لَحْن (laḥn) — error in the use of language
  • Bulgarian: солеци́зъм (solecízǎm) — error in the use of language
  • Bulgarian: граматична грешка (gramatična greška) — error in the use of language
  • Catalan: solecisme — error in the use of language
  • Chinese Mandarin: 語病 /语病 (yǔbìng) — error in the use of language
  • Czech: solecismus — error in the use of language
  • Danish: soløcisme — error in the use of language
  • Esperanto: solecismo — error in the use of language
  • Estonian: solötsism — error in the use of language
  • Estonian: kõnevääratus — error in the use of language
  • Estonian: väärsamm — error in the use of language
  • Finnish: tyylivirhe — error in the use of language
  • French: solécisme — error in the use of language
  • Georgian: სოლეციზმი (solecizmi) — error in the use of language
  • Georgian: ბარბარიზმი (barbarizmi) — error in the use of language
  • German: Solözismus — error in the use of language
  • German: Sprachschnitzer — error in the use of language
  • German: Sprachsünde — error in the use of language
  • Greek: σολοικισμός (soloikismós) — error in the use of language
  • Ancient Greek: σολοικισμός (soloikismós) — error in the use of language
  • Hebrew: סוֹלְסִיזְם — error in the use of language
  • Hungarian: stílushiba — error in the use of language
  • Hungarian: helytelen nyelvhasználat — error in the use of language
  • Ido: solecismo — error in the use of language
  • Irish: dearmad gramadaí — error in the use of language
  • Italian: solecismo — error in the use of language
  • Japanese: 文法違反 (bunpō ihan) — error in the use of language
  • Latin: stribligo — error in the use of language
  • Polish: solecyzm — error in the use of language
  • Polish: uchybienie gramatyczne — error in the use of language
  • Portuguese: solecismo — error in the use of language
  • Portuguese: cacologia — error in the use of language
  • Romanian: solecism — error in the use of language
  • Russian: солеци́зм (solecízm) — error in the use of language
  • Spanish: solecismo — error in the use of language
  • Swedish: solecism — error in the use of language
  • Turkish: aykırıcılık — error in the use of language
  • Ukrainian: солеци́зм (solecýzm) — error in the use of language