juxtaposition

American  

[juhk-stuh-puh-zish-uhn] / ˌdʒʌk stə pəˈzɪʃ ən /

noun

juxtapositions plural

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

2. the state of being close together or side by side.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• juxtapositional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• juxtapositions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of juxtaposition

First recorded in 1655–65; from French, from Latin juxtā “near, bordering, side by side” + French position position; cf. joust ( def. )

Explanation

If a waiter served you a whole fish and a scoop of chocolate ice cream on the same plate, your surprise might be caused by the juxtaposition, or the side-by-side contrast, of the two foods. Any time unlike things bump up against each other, you can describe it as a juxtaposition. Imagine a funeral mourner telling jokes graveside, and you get the idea — the juxtaposition in this case is between grief and humor. Juxtaposition of two contrasting items is often done deliberately in writing, music, or art — in order to highlight their differences.

Example Sentences

Juxtaposition is key, even when the ingredients are visually indistinguishable.

From Washington Post • Mar. 3, 2023

Juxtaposition of tiny bicycle with big landscape underscores the scale of the undertaking, while hinting, too, at its appeal.

From Washington Post • Feb. 17, 2022

Juxtaposition, or placing contrasting elements close together, is a technique that image creators often use for a variety of purposes: humor, irony, sarcasm, or—as in this case—disgust or outrage.

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021

Best Juxtaposition: As the bell tolled and judgment was nigh, Katherine Jenkins beamed beatifically in the bottom, wearing a white dress and a sad smile.

From Time • May 9, 2012

Well, I know, after all, it is only juxtaposition,— Juxtaposition, in short; and what is juxtaposition?

From Amours De Voyage by Clough, Arthur Hugh