scare quotes
noun/ˈskeə kwəʊts/
/ˈsker kwəʊts/
[plural]- quotation marks that a writer puts around a word or phrase to show that it is used in an unusual way, usually one that the writer does not agree with
- This pronouncement came from the organization’s ‘scientific’ committee (the scare quotes are mine).
- The journal doesn’t use the word ‘terrorist’, at least not without scare quotes.
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
scare quotes