Trivia Time

The unexpected juxtaposition of ordinary objects is a hallmark of which art movement?

Test Your Knowledge

juxtaposition

American  

[juhk-stuh-puh-zish-uhn] / ˌdʒʌk stə pəˈzɪʃ ən /

noun

• juxtapositions
  plural

1. an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.

2. the state of being close together or side by side.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• juxtapositional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• juxtapositions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of juxtaposition

First recorded in 1655–65; from French, from Latin juxtā “near, bordering, side by side” + French position position; cf. joust ( def. )

Explanation

If a waiter served you a whole fish and a scoop of chocolate ice cream on the same plate, your surprise might be caused by the juxtaposition, or the side-by-side contrast, of the two foods. Any time unlike things bump up against each other, you can describe it as a juxtaposition. Imagine a funeral mourner telling jokes graveside, and you get the idea — the juxtaposition in this case is between grief and humor. Juxtaposition of two contrasting items is often done deliberately in writing, music, or art — in order to highlight their differences.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

juxtaposition juxtapositions

“I think the juxtaposition is the point,” Orchison said.

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026

Meagan adds that she enjoys the juxtaposition of the "bravado" of ice hockey mixed with the characters' "vulnerability underneath".

From BBC ● May 30, 2026

The resulting juxtaposition offers a stark symbol of the economic fallout from the Iran war: Sailors are stuck on ships loaded with tens of millions of dollars worth of fertilizer, yet are left rationing food.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026

The juxtaposition of events — escalating geopolitical pressure abroad and the promotion of a high-profile combat sports spectacle at home — has drawn attention for its optics.

From Salon ● Apr. 12, 2026

It made my lungs feel heavy, my heart grow light, until the juxtaposition of the two phased into sleep.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline

He followed it with a succession of intensely theatrical divertissements, often revolving around unexpected intellectual conceits or bizarre juxtapositions and featuring brilliant dialogue, puns, repartee, double meanings and misunderstandings.

From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2025

In a preface, the film director Guillermo del Toro likens this collection to early modern cabinets of curiosities, whose juxtapositions of natural and artificial objects were meant to expose a hidden order of existence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025

The exhibition, filled with beautiful, illuminating juxtapositions of their work and accompanied by an expansive, scholarly catalog, is superb.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2025

Occasionally we get a spare, clarifying voiceover about timelines and facts, but mostly Veiel lets his juxtapositions make the case, expertly stitched together by the editing team of Stefan Krumbiegel, Olaf Voigtlander and Alfredo Castro.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2025

The loveliest scenes, he found, were comprised of the simplest, most natural juxtapositions of native plants.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson