sonder

[son-der]

noun

1. the feeling one has on realizing that every other individual one sees has a life as full and real as one’s own, in which they are the central character and others, including oneself, have secondary or insignificant roles.

   In a state of sonder, each of us is at once a hero, a supporting cast member, and an extra in overlapping stories.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sonder¹

Coined in 2012 by U.S. writer John Koenig in his blog The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows; perhaps partly based on French sonder “to probe, plumb,” of unclear origin, apparently either akin to sound ³ ( def. ), sound ⁴ ( def. ) or from Vulgar Latin subundāre (unrecorded) “to dive, plunge” (ultimately from sub sub- ( def. ) + unda “wave”); perhaps partly based on German sonder- “separate, special” ( sundry ( def. ) )

Example Sentences

It allowed Sonder rooms to be booked via Marriott's various booking platforms and app.

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One man said he had received no communication about his cancelled Sonder reservation, that there was no way to contact the firm online, and said it was "causing significant worry".

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Many users said the only reason they booked with Sonder was because it seemed reliably "backed" by the well-known Marriott brand - but now felt betrayed.

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Guests across the world have been told to leave their accommodation mid-holiday after property rentals firm Sonder suddenly went bankrupt.

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Marriott said on its website that it didn't charge customer cards itself for Sonder bookings, but would facilitate refunds by coordinating "with the appropriate parties".

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