Words / C2

pek-uh-DIL-oh/ˌpekəˈdɪləʊ/

A peccadillo is a small, relatively unimportant fault or sin: a youthful peccadillo, mere peccadilloes. Fault is everyday; misdemeanour is the legal-ish cousin. Heinous (already in the dictionary) is the opposite scale. Do not file a missing consent clause as a peccadillo.

Meaning

A small, relatively unimportant fault or sin.

Examples

• “A missing consent clause is not a peccadillo.”
• “Fault is everyday. A foible is a harmless quirk. A misdemeanour is a lesser offence. Heinous is utterly wicked (already in C2). Biscuits in the wrong tin can be a peccadillo. An empty ethics cell cannot. Scale the wrong; do not shrink it for comfort.”

Good to know

A minor fault. Everyday: small fault / slip. Contrast: heinous (already in C2). Consent is not a foible.

Near in meaning

fault

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