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Etymology
Origin of absurdity
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English absurdite, from Middle French, from Late Latin absurditās; absurd + -ity
Explanation
An absurdity is something ridiculously foolish. The U.S. declaring war on Fiji would be an absurdity. This is the noun form of the adjective absurd, which means silly, hard-to-believe, and kind of crazy. Unless it's Halloween, it would be an absurdity to show up to school in a chicken suit. If your teacher taught math class with a fake French accent, that would also be an absurdity. A lot of comedies are full of absurdities, because an absurdity can be funny. If you're good at thinking of absurdities, maybe you should be a comedy writer.
Vocabulary lists containing absurdity
Stargirl
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"The Witches" by Roald Dahl, Chapters 1–5
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Vocabulary from the Sixth Democratic Debate, February 11, 2016
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Julian Fellowes’s 19th-century drama is still a festival of overacting and narrative absurdity, yet it feels increasingly clever in its theatricality—and Carrie Coon remains a marvel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Fielder is well-known to comedy fans for his docuseries “The Rehearsal” and “Nathan for You,” where he honed his brand of awkward absurdity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
While the argument might be internally consistent, it reveals the absurdity that arises from the use of the death penalty in a country governed by the rule of law.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
To draw the world’s attention to a serious matter by way of absurdity — that’s a good trick.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
If the style of dress is an absurdity, it is pain and sorrow to a child not to wear that absurdity.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
This week’s briefing document repeats such absurdities and manipulates the data to claim the drug doesn’t work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Finally, if you think the obstacles to orderly press coverage and the absurdities of decision-day theater are bad, remember that they are nothing compared to how the court does its own substantive work.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
Parr, renowned for capturing the quiet rituals and absurdities of British life, was commissioned by the National Trust to capture life in Lacock, Wiltshire, during the spring and summer of 2025.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
Like it or not, Colbert was doing what comedians are supposed to do: hold a mirror up to society, politics, human nature or whatever their focus may be, and call out the absurdities within.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
A person shouldn’t look too far down her nose at absurdities.
From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
