Linguis. a nonstandard usage resulting from an overly conscious effort to avoid a grammatical error, as in the case of personal pronouns (Ex.: “between you and I”)
hypercorrection
hy·per·cor·rec·tionWebster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"hypercorrection." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 06 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/hypercorrection>.
APA Style
hypercorrection. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/hypercorrection
hypercorrection
noun
- A construction or pronunciation produced by mistaken analogy with standard usage out of a desire to be correct, as in the substitution of I for me in on behalf of my parents and I.
- The production of such a construction or pronunciation.
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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Cite this page
MLA Style
"hypercorrection." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 06 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/hypercorrection>.
APA Style
hypercorrection. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/hypercorrection
Noun
(plural hypercorrections)
- (linguistics) The use of a nonstandard form due to a belief that it is more formal or more correct than the corresponding standard form.
- (linguistics) A nonstandard form so used.
Usage notes
- Since it is often a matter of some debate whether a given form is standard or correct, the use of the term hypercorrection is typically subjective.
Origin
hyper- + correction
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"hypercorrection." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 06 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/hypercorrection>.
APA Style
hypercorrection. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/hypercorrection
