WHIMSICALITY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does whimsicality mean? 

• WHIMSICALITY (noun)
  The noun WHIMSICALITY has 2 senses:

1. the trait of acting unpredictably and more from whim or caprice than from reason or judgment

2. the trait of behaving like an imp

  Familiarity information: WHIMSICALITY used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WHIMSICALITY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The trait of acting unpredictably and more from whim or caprice than from reason or judgment

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

arbitrariness; capriciousness; flightiness; whimsey; whimsicality; whimsy

Context example:

I despair at the flightiness and whimsicality of my memory

Hypernyms ("whimsicality" is a kind of...):

irresponsibility; irresponsibleness (a form of untrustworthiness; the trait of lacking a sense of responsibility and not feeling accountable for your actions)

Derivation:

whimsical (determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The trait of behaving like an imp

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

impishness; mischievousness; puckishness; whimsicality

Hypernyms ("whimsicality" is a kind of...):

fun; playfulness (a disposition to find (or make) causes for amusement)

 Context examples 

At times his mind wandered farther afield, and he plodded on, a mere automaton, strange conceits and whimsicalities gnawing at his brain like worms.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)