malapropism

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.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmæləpɹɒpˌɪzəm/
• (US) enPR: mălʹə-prä-pĭzʹ-əm, IPA^(key): /ˈmæləpɹɑpˌɪzəm/

• Audio (US):

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malapropism (countable and uncountable, plural malapropisms)

1. (uncountable) The blundering use of an absurdly inappropriate word or expression in place of a similar-sounding one.

   The script employed malapropism to great effect.

2. (countable) An instance of this; malaprop.

   The translator matched every malapropism in the original with one from his own language.

   The humor comes from all the malapropisms.

• Malapropism (rare)
• malapropoism (obsolete)

• (instance of malapropism): malaprop, catachresis

• examples of malapropisms