surrealism

American  

[suh-ree-uh-liz-uhm] / səˈri əˌlɪz əm /

noun

(sometimes initial capital letter)

1. a style of art and literature developed principally in the 20th century, stressing the subconscious or nonrational significance of imagery arrived at by automatism or the exploitation of chance effects, unexpected juxtapositions, etc.

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surrealism British  

/ səˈrɪəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. (sometimes capital) a movement in art and literature in the 1920s, which developed esp from dada, characterized by the evocative juxtaposition of incongruous images in order to include unconscious and dream elements

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surrealism Cultural  

1. A movement in art and literature that flourished in the early twentieth century. Surrealism aimed at expressing imaginative dreams and visions free from conscious rational control. Salvador Dali was an influential surrealist painter; Jean Cocteau was a master of surrealist film.

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Other Word Forms

• surrealist noun
• surrealistic adjective
• surrealistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of surrealism

From the French word surréalisme, dating back to 1920–25. See sur- ¹, realism

Example Sentences

Perhaps the most avant-garde filmmaker ever to make it big in Hollywood, David Lynch brought surrealism to the big screen in films including Mulholland Drive and Blue Velvet.

From BBC

Recognizing this, Masson wrote in 1941, in “Painting is a Wager”: “Towards 1930, five years after the foundation of surrealism, a formidable disaster appeared in its midst: the demagogy of the irrational.”

From The Wall Street Journal

While the view of surrealism may be hazy at the Whitney, the lasting impact of the ’60s has never been clearer.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s about the humor, surrealism, pride, beauty, camaraderie and, ultimately, celebration that awaits a jornalero in their journey.

From Los Angeles Times

Though her film flirts with surrealism, Bronstein carefully maintains a sense of truth as Linda scrapes past a never-ending pile of obstacles, trying to claw her way free before she’s buried alive.

From Salon