cacology

C3A1C3O1L1O1G2Y4
/kəˈkɒləd͡ʒi/

noun

Poor diction or choice of words.

Scrabble 16

Meanings

nouncacology (usually uncountable, plural cacologies)

plural cacologies

  1. uncommonuncountableusuallyPoor diction or choice of words.
    1 more example

    My lord's sayings and doings are most amusing. As I mentioned his cacology, I will give you a sample. His second wife took great pains to improve him, but in vain. When he came here under her tutelage, she watched his words, and always corrected him, even before company. One day, being asked to take some lunch, he declined, saying ‘I have been eating selvedges all day.’ My Lady, correcting, said, ‘Sandwiches, my Lord.’ He replied, ‘Ah, my Lady, I wish you'd be quiet, you're always rebuting me.’

    1867 May 25, "Social Siftings", Charles Dickens (editor), All the Year Round, No. 422, p. 526 (Google preview)

Origin

Cite this entry
APA

cacology. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cacology

MLA

“cacology.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cacology. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cacology,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cacology.

Source: cacology on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.