Mumpsimus: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Mumpsimus noun. A mistaken habit or belief that someone clings to even after being shown it is wrong.
How to say it
MUMP-sih-muss/ˈmʌmpsɪməs/
3 syllables, stressed on the first (MUMP).
Mumpsimus in a sentence
Insisting that emails be printed before he reads them is the boss's last mumpsimus.
It's a mumpsimus that you can't swim after lunch, but Mum still enforces it.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- obstinacy
- fixed idea
- bad habit
Where mumpsimus comes from
From a tale of a priest who misread sumpsimus in the Latin Mass as mumpsimus and refused to change.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
It's a _____ that you can't swim after lunch, but Mum still enforces it.
- mumpsimus
- dottle
- quidnunc
Show the answer
mumpsimus: It's a mumpsimus that you can't swim after lunch, but Mum still enforces it.