Definition

Not following the rules of grammar or standard language usage.

Example

The sentence was ungrammatical, making it hard to understand.

Conversation

I noticed some sentences in your essay were a bit ungrammatical.

Oh really? I thought I proofread it well enough.

Yeah, it’s easy to miss those ungrammatical parts sometimes.

I appreciate you pointing it out; I’ll fix them before submitting.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Ungrammatical → It is formed from "un-" (meaning not) and "grammatical" (from Greek "grammatikos", meaning relating to grammar). The word "ungrammatical" means not conforming to the rules of grammar.

Memory Tip

Think of 'not' ('un-') following the rules of 'grammar' ('grammatical') — that's why ungrammatical means something that doesn't follow grammar rules.

Visually Confused Words