SOLECISM

solecism. Solecism, n. an impropriety or badness of speech

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Sol″e‐cism (?), n.[[F. solécisme, L. soloecismus, Gr. σολοικισμόσ, fr. σολοικίζειν to speak or write incorrectly, fr. σόλοικοσ speaking incorrectly, from the corruption of the Attic dialect among the Athenian colonists of Σόλοι in Cilicia.]] 1. 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.
A barbarism may be in one word; a solecism must be of more. Johnson. 2. 2. Any inconsistency, unfitness, absurdity, or impropriety, as in deeds or manners.
Cæsar, by dismissing his guards and retaining his power, committed a dangerous solecism in politics. C. Middleton. The idea of having committed the slightest solecism in politeness was agony to him. Sir W. Scott. Syn. — Barbarism; impropriety; absurdity.