witticism

Pronunciation: /ˈwɪ.tɪ.sɪz.əm/

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter

Etymology

From witty + -icism; coined in the 1670s by John Dryden, by analogy to criticism.

In classic literature

Synonyms

wit, humor, humour, wittiness

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
message
Narrower (hyponyms)
pungency, topper, bon mot, joke, cartoon, jeu d'esprit

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