malaprop

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun the unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar

Etymology

From the name of Mrs. Malaprop, a character in the play The Rivals (1775) by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. See malapropism for more.

In classic literature

Synonyms

malapropism

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