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juxtaposition

[ juhk-stuh-puh-zish-uh n ]

/ ˌdʒʌk stə pəˈzɪʃ ən /

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR juxtaposition ON THESAURUS.COM

WATCH NOW: What Does "Juxtaposition" Actually Mean?

WATCH NOW: What Does "Juxtaposition" Actually Mean?

When you place things side-by-side, you automatically start comparing because the differences are highlighted. And, there's a word for that: "juxtaposition."

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noun

an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.

the state of being close together or side by side.

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RELATED WORDS

proximity, touching, nearness, abutment, contact

Nearby words

Origin of juxtaposition

1655–65; < French < Latin juxtā side by side + French position position

Related formsjux·ta·po·si·tion·al, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for juxtaposition

The juxtaposition planted a story of association on websites that touted both men for their talks.
The Price of Steve Scalise’s Silence|Jason Berry|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Regardless, The Blood Telegram offers a nuanced yet unflinching look at the juxtaposition of geopolitics and humanitarian crisis.
Bloody Bloody Richard Nixon’s Role in a Forgotten Genocide|Nick Turse|September 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“I love the juxtaposition between sexy, corset-details and these incredibly beautiful fabrics,” she said.
Jason Wu’s Softer Side|Isabel Wilkinson|September 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Her yen for juxtaposition of pretty and ugly, water and tar, public and private, can be seen in the smallest moments.
This Week’s Hot Reads: August 19, 2013|Jen Vafidis|August 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Is it the juxtaposition of Geordie straightforwardness with lofty intellectualism?
Meet ‘Inspector Lewis’: Kevin Whately on ‘Morse,’ John Thaw, and the End of the Series|Jace Lacob|June 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Your uncle was such a master of expression that almost anything placed in juxtaposition must suffer from the contrast.
McClure's Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 1, June 1893|Various
Each of these cars had a door cut in one end, and these door-way ends were placed in juxtaposition and remained so always.
The Crest of the Continent|Ernest Ingersoll
How the noblest and the commonest stand there in juxtaposition!
Beyond Good and Evil|Friedrich Nietzsche
There might be a juxtaposition of persons, but there could be no society; there might be a Personal, but not a Political, Economy.
Harmonies of Political Economy|Frdric Bastiat
It is eloquent in its brevity and juxtaposition of the creative word and the created world.
The Expositor's Bible: The Psalms, Vol. 1|A. Maclaren

Word Origin and History for juxtaposition

juxtaposition

n.

1660s, from French juxtaposition (1660s), from Latin iuxta "beside, near" + French position (see position (n.)). Latin iuxta is a contraction of *iugista (adv.), superlative of adjective *iugos "closely connected," from stem of iugum "yoke," from iungere "to join" (see jugular).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for juxtaposition

juxtaposition

[ jŭk′stə-pə-zĭsh′ən ]

n.

The state of being placed or situated side by side.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.