solecisms

n.[ F. solécisme, L. soloecismus, Gr. soloikismo`s, fr. soloiki`zein to speak or write incorrectly, fr. so`loikos speaking incorrectly, from the corruption of the Attic dialect among the Athenian colonists of So`loi in Cilicia. ] 1. An impropriety or incongruity of language in the combination of words or parts of a sentence; esp., deviation from the idiom of a language or from the rules of syntax. [ 1913 Webster ]

A barbarism may be in one word; a solecism must be of more. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any inconsistency, unfitness, absurdity, or impropriety, as in deeds or manners. [ 1913 Webster ]

Caesar, by dismissing his guards and retaining his power, committed a dangerous solecism in politics. C. Middleton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The idea of having committed the slightest solecism in politeness was agony to him. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Barbarism; impropriety; absurdity. [ 1913 Webster ]