Definitions for malapropism
ˈmæl ə prɒpˌɪz əmmal·a·prop·ism

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. malapropism, malapropnoun

   the unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. malapropismnoun

   The blundering use of an absurdly inappropriate word or expression in place of a similar sounding one.

2. malapropismnoun

   An instance of this; malaprop.

3. Etymology: From the name of Mrs. Malaprop, a character in the play The Rivals (1775) by Richard Brinsley Sheridan + -ism. As dramatic characters in English comic plays of this time often had allusive names, it is likely that Sheridan fashioned the name from malapropos. Mrs. Malaprop is perhaps the best-known example of a familiar comedic character archetype who unintentionally substitutes inappropriate but like-sounding words that take on a ludicrous meaning when used incorrectly.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Malapropism

   A malapropism (also called a malaprop, acyrologia, or Dogberryism) is the mistaken use of an incorrect word in place of a word with a similar sound, resulting in a nonsensical, sometimes humorous utterance. An example is the statement attributed to baseball player Yogi Berra, regarding switchhitters, "He hits from both sides of the plate. He's amphibious." Malapropisms often occur as errors in natural speech and are sometimes the subject of media attention, especially when made by politicians or other prominent individuals. Philosopher Donald Davidson has said that malapropisms show the complex process through which the brain translates thoughts into language. Humorous malapropisms are the type that attract the most attention and commentary, but bland malapropisms are common in speech and writing.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. malapropism

   Malapropism is a humorous or absurd misuse of a word, especially by confusing it with another word that sounds similar. It is often caused by ignorance or misunderstanding of the correct terminology. Named after a character, Mrs. Malaprop, from the 18th-century play "The Rivals" by Richard Brinsley Sheridan who was known for her frequent misusage of words.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Malapropismnoun

   a grotesque misuse of a word; a word so used

2. Etymology: [From Mrs. Malaprop, a character in Sheridan's drama, The Rivals, who makes amusing blunders in her use of words. See Malapropos.]

WikidataRate this definition:1.0 / 1 vote

1. Malapropism

   A malapropism is the use of an incorrect word in place of a word with a similar sound, resulting in a nonsensical, often humorous utterance. An example is Yogi Berra's statement: "Texas has a lot of electrical votes," rather than "electoral votes". The word malapropism comes ultimately from the French mal à propos meaning "inappropriate" via "Mrs. Malaprop", a character in the Richard Brinsley Sheridan comedy The Rivals as who habitually misused her words. Dogberryism comes from "Officer Dogberry", the name of a character in William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. These are the two best-known fictional characters who made this kind of error—there are many other examples. Malapropisms also occur as errors in natural speech. Malapropisms are often the subject of media attention, especially when made by politicians or other prominent individuals. The philosopher Donald Davidson has noted that malapropisms show how complex the process is by which the brain translates thoughts into language.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Malapropism

   mal′a-prop-izm, n. the act of misapplying words, in the attempt to use fine language, from Mrs Malaprop in Sheridan's play, The Rivals.

Matched Categories

1. • Misstatement

How to pronounce malapropism?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say malapropism in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of malapropism in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of malapropism in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of malapropism in a Sentence

1. Alanis Morissette:

   I didn't realize the degree of which the malapropism would trigger this furor. I think people are up in arms about the idea of being stupid and I'm perfectly aware that there's a big part of me that's very very dumb and very very brilliant - it depends when you catch me - so I don't personally care but I can see it's a big deal for people.

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=malapropism
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Malapropism
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malapropism
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malapropism
6. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=malapropism
7. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=malapropism