Which text uses the word ironic in its traditional sense?
Last winter, Reid took a vacation to Florida to escape Boston's cold, snowy weather. In an ironic twist, a rare snowstorm happened to hit Florida that week. Last winter, Reid took a vacation to Florida to escape Boston's cold, snowy weather. In an ironic twist, he just missed a few of his college friends, who had been in Florida the previous week.
Words change in meaning when speakers begin using them in new ways. For example, the word peruse once only meant to examine in detail, but it's now also commonly used to mean to look through in a casual manner.
When a word changes in meaning, its correct usage is often debated. Although a newer sense of the word may be more commonly used, many people consider a word's traditional definition to be the correct usage. Being able to distinguish the different uses of a word can help you use it appropriately for different audiences.
Britney perused her notes, carefully preparing for her exam.
The traditional usage above is considered more standard.
David perused the magazine, absentmindedly flipping through the pages.
The nontraditional usage above is now commonly used, but traditional style guides generally advise against it.
The first text uses ironic in its traditional sense: contrary to what was intended, often in an amusing way. It's ironic because Reid tried to get away from the snow but found himself in a snowstorm regardless.
Last winter, Reid took a vacation to Florida to escape Boston's cold, snowy weather. In an ironic twist, a rare snowstorm happened to hit Florida that week.
The second text uses ironic in its nontraditional sense: marked by coincidence. It was a coincidence that Reid's friends were in Florida the week before.
Last winter, Reid took a vacation to Florida to escape Boston's cold, snowy weather. In an ironic twist, he just missed a few of his college friends, who had been in Florida the previous week.
Most style guides recommend to avoid using the nontraditional sense of the word ironic because it is generally considered incorrect.