the unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar
Used in a Sentence
malaprop
How to use malaprop in a sentence. Example sentences and definitions for malaprop.
Editorial note
Yes, fair enough -- in that case, I had to either choose a gender for one word or go with one of those malaprops like "they".
Examples5
Definitions1
Parts of speech1
Quick take
the unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of malaprop gathered in one view.
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for malaprop.
noun
the unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar
See also: malapropism
Example sentences
Yes, fair enough -- in that case, I had to either choose a gender for one word or go with one of those malaprops like "they".
My mother was a child psychologist for 30 years and collected malaprops from the children she saw.
Normally a malaprop like this is benign, but this one reverses the meaning of the sentence in which it appears.
"All intensive purposes" is a malaprop, a specific language error that's almost never considered to be correct.
This is a surprisingly effective technique, but often results in some interesting mistakes that surface as malaprops.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use malaprop in a sentence?
Yes, fair enough -- in that case, I had to either choose a gender for one word or go with one of those malaprops like "they".
What does malaprop mean?
the unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar
What part of speech is malaprop?
malaprop is commonly used as noun.