as in blunder
a socially improper or unsuitable act or remark
the solecism of asking one's hosts how much something in their house cost them
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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
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The governor refused to answer reporter questions on if whoever was responsible for the buyout blunder faced any disciplinary action, instead just confirming that action has been taken.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
8 Jan. 2026
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Experts say that the painful blunder could undercut trust in the agency and lead to confusion.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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One of the biggest mistakes people make with space heaters is using an extension cord.—
Shivani Vyas,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2026
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Jake returns to 2011 with the intention of going back to 1960 and doing it all over again, this time without making the mistakes that led to Sadie's death.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Once there, however, Rhoda discovers more than Max’s indiscretions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
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But Clinton’s ties to the Epstein case are a reminder of how his political promise has always been tempered by personal indiscretions.—
Steven Sloan,
Fortune,
21 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The federal government primarily finances supplemental food benefits, but the state’s share is determined, in part, by its management, as indicated by its rate of error when determining people’s eligibility.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
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The research depended on computer simulations, which meant that tiny adjustments to the initial state of the digital fluid (or any digital rounding errors) wouldn’t affect the fluid’s fate.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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What the leadership of CBS News, under Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss, seems to be most capable of producing is a steady stream of questionable decisions, controversies, and gaffes.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
12 Jan. 2026
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Poehler teased after the gaffe.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Solecism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/solecism. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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