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. 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. 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.