Peccadillo GRE Vocabulary Flashcard
/ˌpek.əˈdɪl.əʊ/ (noun)
Definition
a small or minor fault or sin, petty offense, venial sin, misdemeanor, misdeed, lapse, indiscretion, misstep, minor offense, transgression, failing, breach, infringement
Example
Sometimes, someone dismisses another or mistakes her social standing in a downward direction: where person A assumes that person B has less standing than B takes herself to have, or less than B’s situation would usually entail that B be attributed, were it not for some confounding feature. To illustrate, suppose that an estate agent talks only to the male companion of his female customer, even though she is the one selling the house. A further case would be when academics or doctors who aren’t white and/or aren’t male often find that their title isn’t used, where it is for their white male colleagues. Given the nature of these peccadillos, these instances often amount to indirect attacks on a person’s standing. Sometimes, these may be unintentional: the offending party might not mean to target the offended individual; indeed, they may not intend to affront anyone.
Source: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/
