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juxtaposition

[ juhk-stuh-puh-zish-uhn ]

/ ˌdʒʌk stə pəˈzɪʃ ən /

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See synonyms for: juxtaposition / juxtapositional on Thesaurus.com

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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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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Origin of juxtaposition

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

OTHER WORDS FROM juxtaposition

jux·ta·po·si·tion·al, adjective

Words nearby juxtaposition

juxtaepiphysial, juxtaglomerular, juxtaglomerular cell, juxtaglomerular granule, juxtapose, juxtaposition, JV, jwlr., J.W.V., Jy, Jylland

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for juxtaposition

When judging the contest, I gravitated toward entries that were not just ingenious juxtapositions of words -- someone sent in an uncannily accurate total paraphrase of Macbeth’s “sound and fury” soliloquy -- but were also funny.
Style Conversational Week 1425: Sketchy situations with Bob Staake|Pat Myers|February 25, 2021|Washington Post
That delightful juxtaposition of thoughts — reverence mixed with a sense of both danger and responsibility — is how democratic states survive.
The danger of right-wing mobs is real. Fencing at the U.S. Capitol won’t help.|Philip Kennicott|February 1, 2021|Washington Post
It was this juxtaposition that fueled Stamaty’s process, specifically his interest in becoming a commercial artist while a student at the tony Cooper Union, where fine art was king.
The Unbearable Greatness of Comic King Mark Alan Stamaty|Eugene Robinson|November 4, 2020|Ozy
The juxtaposition of this section of the blog to that which discusses Google’s quality raters would seem to imply that the input from the raters’ is a substantial part of this process.
Did Google just hint at an authority profile?|Mordy Oberstein|September 21, 2020|Search Engine Land

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
This was an early influence too in terms of the weird juxtaposition of laugh-out-loud comedy mixed with really horrific sequences.
‘Machete Kills’ Director Robert Rodriguez on His Favorite Cult Movies|Robert Rodriguez|October 8, 2013|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
To any one thoroughly familiar with the Arthurian romances, the juxtaposition of these three names is extremely significant.
The Three Days' Tournament|Jessie L. Weston
In the juxtaposition of Samuel Meredith's features this quality was so strong that it influenced his entire life.
Flappers and Philosophers|F. Scott Fitzgerald
These aphorisms formed, says Littr, "a succession of propositions in juxtaposition, but not united."
An Epitome of the History of Medicine|Roswell Park
A writer exhibits clear and undeniable differences between two American tribes in geographical juxtaposition to one another.
The Ethnology of the British Colonies and Dependencies|Robert Gordon Latham
He did not put the alternatives so much in juxtaposition as I have; but they lay certainly in that manner on his thoughts.
Barrington|Charles James Lever

Medical 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.

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