malapropism

== English == === 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. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈmæləpɹɒpˌɪzəm/ (US) enPR: mălʹə-prä-pĭzʹ-əm, IPA(key): /ˈmæləpɹɑpˌɪzəm/ === Noun === malapropism (countable and uncountable, plural malapropisms) (uncountable) The blundering use of an absurdly inappropriate word or expression in place of a similar-sounding one. Hypernym: catachresis (precisely hypernymous; loosely synonymous) (countable) An instance of such use. Synonym: malaprop Hypernym: catachresis (precisely hypernymous; loosely synonymous) ==== Alternative forms ==== Malapropism (rare) malapropoism (obsolete) ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === See also === examples of malapropisms === Further reading === malapropism on Wikipedia.Wikipedia