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catachresis

Syllabification: (cat·a·chre·sis)
Pronunciation: /ˌkatəˈkrēsis/

Definition of catachresis

noun (plural catachreses /-sēz/)

  • the use of a word in a way that is not correct, for example, the use of mitigate for militate.

Derivatives

catachrestic

Pronunciation: /-ˈkrestik/

adjective

Origin:

mid 16th century: from Latin, from Greek katakhrēsis, from katakhrēsthai 'misuse', from kata- 'down' (expressing the sense 'wrongly') + khrēsthai 'use'

catachresis in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of catachresis in the British & World English dictionary