parapraxis means A mistake, such as a slip of the tongue, that reveals a concealed thought or motive. It carries an Arena rating of 1779, earned across 33 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, parapraxis ranks #890 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #1,460 of 17,151 for The Improbable, #3,156 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words, #3,777 of 17,106 for Most Storied Words.
Why “parapraxis” is a great word
A minor error, such as a slip of the tongue or pen, believed to reveal a concealed or unconscious thought. From the Greek-derived prefix para- (here meaning "contrary to" or "faulty") and praxis ("action, practice"), coined in 1904 in Modern Latin. Unlike a simple "mistake," which lacks psychological depth, or a "lapse," a mere failure of attention, a parapraxis is charged with hidden intent. It is the pen that writes the lover’s name in the margin of a resignation letter, the tongue that greets the new boss by the ex-partner’s name, the meticulously misspelled word that damns its author—the body, in quiet rebellion, whispering truths the mind has not yet cleared its throat to speak.
Etymology
From para- + -praxis. Compare -praxia.
noun
- A mistake, such as a slip of the tongue, that reveals a concealed thought or motive.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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