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Added 9 October 2026

witticism

/ˈwɪ.tɪ.sɪz.əm/ noun

In Latin: dictum, dictērium Coined: 1670, by John Dryden Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about witticism at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter.

Origin

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

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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