most vexing parse

noun

A specific form of syntactic ambiguity resolution in the C++ programming language, whereby attempts to declare a variable may be undesirably interpreted as attempts to declare a function.

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Meanings

noun
  1. computingA specific form of syntactic ambiguity resolution in the C++ programming language, whereby attempts to declare a variable may be undesirably interpreted as attempts to declare a function.

Origin

The phrase was introduced by Scott Meyers in Effective STL (2001).

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Cite this entry
APA

most vexing parse. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/most%20vexing%20parse

MLA

“most vexing parse.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/most%20vexing%20parse. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “most vexing parse,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/most%20vexing%20parse.

Source: most vexing parse on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.