Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

sonder

American  
[son-der] / ˈsɒn dər /

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.


Etymology

Origin of sonder

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” ( see also sundry ( def. ))

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I ascertained this fact from the landlord of the Seven Stars, at which house of entertainment I took a bottle of soda-water, in order to sonder le terrain before commencing business.

From Birds of Prey by Braddon, M. E. (Mary Elizabeth)

A blunt or brode corner, is greater then is a square angle, and his lines do parte more in sonder then in a right angle, of whiche all take these examples.

From The Path-Way to Knowledg Containing the First Principles of Geometrie by Record, Robert

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "sonder" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com