as in offence
a socially improper or unsuitable act or remark
the solecism of asking one's hosts how much something in their house cost them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of solecism
The result is global English but one without the imprecision and solecism implied by that label.
—
Colin Marshall, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2022
And a single word couldn’t be a dead giveaway either, no matter how much people would like to portray the use of pled rather than pleaded as an obvious Trumpian solecism, especially when Dowd himself has been documented using pled at least once.
—Ben Zimmer, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2017
Colin Marshall, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2022
And a single word couldn’t be a dead giveaway either, no matter how much people would like to portray the use of pled rather than pleaded as an obvious Trumpian solecism, especially when Dowd himself has been documented using pled at least once.
—Ben Zimmer, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for solecism
Noun
-
Potential adversaries interpret political action in zero-sum terms; see malice and evil design in mere blunders and coincidence; trumpet necessity rather than navigate choice; and, in extreme cases, invent pretext or promise profit to make more palatable a dubious cause.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
-
In the aftermath of the expensive blunder, Schwarzman was quickly pulled aside by an investor.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Let the rookie learn on the fly, make mistakes, and grow.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Get your fruit trees off to a strong start by avoiding these common planting mistakes.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Navratilova’s practiced that forgiveness, even now as Lemigova finds herself amid a sea of public scrutiny for exposing her indiscretion on the reunion stage.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Once Jem enters Ray’s remote, Spartan cabin in the woods, a whirlwind of indiscretions, family legacies, abusive authority figures, and even past dealings with the IRA get revisited through conversations told mostly near the fireplace.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The defence remains porous, error-prone and vulnerable on corners.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The Times’ error immediately garnered write-ups in The Washington Post, The New York Times, New York Magazine, and other outlets.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Solecism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/solecism. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share