Added 2 October 2026
catachresis
/ˌkæt.əˈkɹiː.sɪs/ noun
In Latin: catachresis Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about catachresis at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Either of two types of misuse of a word or misapplication of a concept. A misuse of a word; an application of a term to something which it does not properly denote. Such a misuse involving some similarity of sound between the misused word and the appropriate word.
- A misuse of a word; an application of a term to something which it does not properly denote. Such a misuse involving some similarity of sound between the misused word and the appropriate word.
- Such a misuse involving some similarity of sound between the misused word and the appropriate word.
Origin
Learned borrowing from Latin catachrēsis, borrowed from Ancient Greek κατάχρησις (katákhrēsis, “misuse (of a word)”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)