| catachresis |
| Definition: Using the wrong word. |
| Example: Saying disinterested (i.e., impartial) when you want to say uninterested (i.e., not interested). Note: Catachresis can also be viewed — if you are a glass-is-half-full kind of person — as a powerful source of creativity in language development. |
| Etymology: The word derives from the Greek katakhresthai, misuse of a word. |
| Oxford English Dictionary: The first OED citation is from 1589: " Catachresis or the Figure of abuse." (Puttenham Eng. Poesie (Arb.) 190 marg.,) |