Definition of MALAPROPISM

malapropism

Plural: malapropisms

Noun

  • the unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar
  • The blundering use of an absurdly inappropriate word or expression in place of a similar-sounding one.
  • An instance of this; malaprop.

Examples

  • The humor comes from all the malapropisms.
  • The script employed malapropism to great effect.
  • The translator matched every malapropism in the original with one from his own language.

Origin / 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 (“inappropriate; inappropriately”), from French mal à propos. 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.

Synonyms

malaprop, catachresis

Scrabble Score: 19

malapropism: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
malapropism: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
malapropism: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 24

malapropism: valid Words With Friends Word