lapsus

Lapsus is a Latin noun meaning slip, fall, or error. In modern usage, the term is used in psychology, linguistics, and everyday language to describe a minor failure in performance, especially involving speech or memory. The concept is often specified with qualifiers: lapsus linguae (slip of the tongue), lapsus calami (slip of the pen), and lapsus memoriae (memory lapse).

In psychoanalysis, lapsus linguae or parapraxis denotes a speech or action that reveals unconscious thoughts or wishes. Sigmund Freud popularized the idea that such slips may disclose hidden motives rather than being random mistakes. Contemporary psychology treats slips as a normal byproduct of cognitive processing, influenced by fatigue, interference, or working memory load, and not all slips are taken as evidence of unconscious content.

In linguistics and cognitive science, lapsus refers to errors during speech or writing used to study language production and retrieval processes. Common examples include spoonerisms, misnaming, or slips that reflect phonological or semantic interference. While Freudian interpretation emphasizes hidden meanings, most researchers view lapsus as informative about ordinary cognition and the limits of planning and execution.

Outside scholarly contexts, lapsus can simply mean a lapse or mistake without psychoanalytic significance. The term remains a useful umbrella for describing errors in speech, writing, or recall, with specific subtypes detailing the nature of the slip.