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Showing results for surprisal. Search instead for surprisals.
Synonyms

surprisal

American  
[ser-prahy-zuhl] / sərˈpraɪ zəl /

noun

  1. the act of surprising.

  2. the state of being surprised.

  3. a surprise.


Etymology

Origin of surprisal

First recorded in 1585–95; surprise + -al 2


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.

See Examples For:

This is consistent with previous studies showing people have more difficulty processing sentences with higher surprisal, the researchers say.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 3, 2024

This analysis revealed that sentences with higher surprisal generate higher responses in the brain.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 3, 2024

They also used a computational technique to quantify each sentence's "surprisal," or how uncommon it is compared to other sentences.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 3, 2024

For their expedition to rob our gardens, they had brought their sovereign's sole heir along with them, as they never leave any of the royal family behind them, for fear of a surprisal.

From The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 14, No. 398, November 14, 1829 by Various

But, O what a wonderful, yet blessed surprisal!

From The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning by Hugh Binning

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