# idiocy

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɪdiəsi/ · frequency rank #32,037

## Definitions
1. The state or condition of being an idiot; the quality of having an intelligence level far below average.
2. Lack of intelligence or sense; extremely foolish behaviour.
3. An idiotic act or utterance.

## Etymology
From French idiotie, from Old French idiot. Displaced earlier idiotacy, idiotry. Equivalent to idiot + -cy. By surface analysis, idio- + -cy.

## Easily confused with
- **idiot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/idiocy-vs-idiot)
- **idiom** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/idiocy-vs-idiom)
- **idiots** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/idiocy-vs-idiots)

## Common misspellings (8)
`diiocy`, `iddiocy`, `idicoy`, `idioccy`, `idiocyy`, `idioyc`, `idoicy`, `iidocy`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/idiocy