apposition

[ ap-uh-zish-uhn ]

/ ˌæp əˈzɪʃ ən /

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See synonyms for apposition on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act of placing together or bringing into proximity; juxtaposition.

the addition or application of one thing to another thing.

Grammar. a syntactic relation between expressions, usually consecutive, that have the same function and the same relation to other elements in the sentence, the second expression identifying or supplementing the first. In Washington, our first president, the phrase our first president is in apposition with Washington.

Biology. growth of a cell wall by the deposition of new particles in layers on the wall.Compare intussusception (def. 2).

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Origin of apposition

1400–50; late Middle English apposicioun<Late Latin appositiōn- (stem of appositiō) <Latin apposit(us) (see apposite) + -iōn--ion

OTHER WORDS FROM apposition

ap·po·si·tion·al, adjectiveap·po·si·tion·al·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH apposition

apposition , opposition

Words nearby apposition

apportion, apportionment, apposable, appose, apposite, apposition, appositional growth, apposition suture, appositive, appraisal, appraisal drilling

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use apposition in a sentence

"The Alfar's Lament" is the early dawn, and is in apposition to "early morn," in the following line.
The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson; and the Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson|Saemund Sigfusson and Snorre Sturleson
Moreover, the difference is not absolute; there are intermediary stages between apposition and intussusception.
The Wonders of Life|Ernst Haeckel
The raw areas are brought into apposition with fine sutures.
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4)|Various
He is thrown into too humbling an apposition with the author of Hamlet.
Lay Morals|Robert Louis Stevenson

In apposition with some other nominative word, adding to the meaning of that word: "The reaper Death with his sickle keen."
An English Grammar|W. M. Baskervill and J. W. Sewell

British Dictionary definitions for apposition

apposition

/ (ˌæpəˈzɪʃən) /

noun

a putting into juxtaposition

a grammatical construction in which a word, esp a noun phrase, is placed after another to modify its meaning

biology growth in the thickness of a cell wall by the deposition of successive layers of materialCompare intussusception (def. 2)

Derived forms of apposition

appositional, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for apposition

apposition

[ ăp′ə-zĭsh′ən ]

The putting in contact of two parts or substances.

The condition of being placed or fitted together.

The growth of successive layers of a cell wall.

Other words from apposition

ap′po•si′tion•al adj.ap′po•si′tion•al•ly adv.

apposition

Origin of apposition

OTHER WORDS FROM apposition

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH apposition

Words nearby apposition

Words related to apposition

How to use apposition in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for apposition

Derived forms of apposition

Medical definitions for apposition

Other words from apposition