juxtaposition

American  

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

noun

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.

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Other Word Forms

• juxtapositional
  adjective

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

Juxtaposition is key, even when the ingredients are visually indistinguishable.

From Washington Post • Mar. 3, 2023

Juxtaposition of tiny bicycle with big landscape underscores the scale of the undertaking, while hinting, too, at its appeal.

From Washington Post • Feb. 17, 2022

Juxtaposition, or placing contrasting elements close together, is a technique that image creators often use for a variety of purposes: humor, irony, sarcasm, or—as in this case—disgust or outrage.

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021

Most Lamentable Juxtaposition: Helio Castroneves is in jeopardy and you have never seen a sadder looking man dressed in hot pink sparkles in your life.

From Time • Oct. 3, 2012

See Bodies Janet, Paul, 60-1 note Jennings, 35 note Jourdain and the two kinds of order, 221 Juxtaposition, 207-8, 338, 339, 341.

From Creative Evolution by Mitchell, Arthur