hypercorrection

American  

[hahy-per-kuh-rek-shuhn] / ˌhaɪ pər kəˈrɛk ʃən /

noun

Linguistics.

1. the substitution, in an inappropriate context, of a pronunciation, grammatical form, or usage thought by the speaker or writer to be appropriate, resulting usually from overgeneralizing in an effort to replace seemingly incorrect forms with correct ones, as the substitution of between you and I for between you and me, by analogy with you and I as the subject of a sentence.

2. the form so substituted.

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hypercorrection British  

/ ˌhaɪpəkəˈrɛkʃən /

noun

1. a mistaken correction to text or speech made through a desire to avoid nonstandard pronunciation or grammar

   ``between you and I'' is a hypercorrection of ``between you and me''

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Etymology

Origin of hypercorrection

First recorded in 1930–35; hyper- + correction

Example Sentences

But if anything, the hysterical hypercorrection among men has combined our habitual sympathy for them with a plea to extend their exceptionalism.

From Slate • Sep. 18, 2018

Season 4 is a brilliant exploration of his hypercorrection in the opposite direction.

From Slate • May 1, 2015

The extreme form of this is hypercorrection, in which “a real or imagined grammatical rule is applied in an inappropriate context, so that an attempt to be ‘correct’ leads to an incorrect result.”

From Slate • Jul. 23, 2014

But the conviction that between you and I is an error needs a second look, together with the explanation that the phrase is a hypercorrection.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

That leads to an error called a hypercorrection, in which people use a nominative pronoun in an accusative coordination: Give Al Gore and I a chance to bring America back.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker