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Inflected Forms
Nouns
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:
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
It’s so funny and really encapsulates the messy truth and real absurdity of loss.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
This underscores the absurdity of labeling fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction in the first place.
From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026
Add up the money, gasoline and vacation days spent on something we know will recur somewhere on Earth whether or not we show up, and the absurdity is plain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
I want to laugh at the absurdity of it—Veturius giving me the key to my brother's freedom, just as I realize that such information might not mean anything.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
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
Metaphors, absurdities and seriousness intermingle in this production from New Forms LA and directed by Marissa Pattullo.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026
It’s one of the modern absurdities that still makes little sense to me.
From Salon ● Jan. 11, 2026
Maybe thinking about the procedural absurdities of the Court’s order was less overwhelming than thinking about its meaning.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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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.
