infelicity
noun
in·fe·lic·i·ty
ˌin-fi-ˈli-sə-tē 
plural infelicities
1
: the quality or state of being infelicitous
2
: something (such as a word or phrase) that is infelicitous
These infelicities are … almost entirely muscled out by better writing.—
Laurence Scott
Laurence ScottExamples of infelicity in a Sentence
the infelicity of holiday decorations at a funeral home
Recent Examples on the Web
And that’s setting aside odd turns, factual infelicities and jokes that don’t land.
—Mark Athitakis, Washington Post, 9 May 2023
The Postcard is a somewhat strange book, not without the occasional infelicity of translation, almost experimental in its form.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2023
There is the occasional infelicity in the book.
—William Fotheringham, WSJ, 16 July 2021
But the infelicities of the translation are of relatively minor concern.
—Mitchell Abidor, The New York Review of Books, 12 Feb. 2020
The usual infelicities of intergenerational living — different standards of kitchen cleanliness, for example — set me on an edge that felt unwarranted.
—Mathina Calliope, Longreads, 3 Dec. 2019
And any fair examination of his record in office shows that these infelicities aren’t really relevant to a just evaluation of his performance.
—Conrad Black, National Review, 11 Sep. 2019
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Mark Athitakis, Washington Post, 9 May 2023
The Postcard is a somewhat strange book, not without the occasional infelicity of translation, almost experimental in its form.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2023
There is the occasional infelicity in the book.
—William Fotheringham, WSJ, 16 July 2021
But the infelicities of the translation are of relatively minor concern.
—Mitchell Abidor, The New York Review of Books, 12 Feb. 2020
The usual infelicities of intergenerational living — different standards of kitchen cleanliness, for example — set me on an edge that felt unwarranted.
—Mathina Calliope, Longreads, 3 Dec. 2019
And any fair examination of his record in office shows that these infelicities aren’t really relevant to a just evaluation of his performance.
—Conrad Black, National Review, 11 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Infelicity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infelicity. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
infelicity
noun
in·fe·lic·i·ty
ˌin-fi-ˈlis-ət-ē
plural infelicities
1
: a lack of suitability
2
: an inappropriate act or expression
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