surrealism

[suh-ree-uh-liz-uh m]

noun (sometimes initial capital letter)

a style of art and literature developed principally in the 20th century, stressing the subconscious or nonrational significance of imagery arrived at by automatism or the exploitation of chance effects, unexpected juxtapositions, etc.

Origin of surrealism

From the French word surréalisme, dating back to 1920–25. See sur-¹, realism

Related formssur·re·al·ist, noun, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for surrealism

Contemporary Examples of surrealism

I loved his blend of Native American realism with just a touch of surrealism.
Sherman Alexie on His New Film, the Redskins, and Why It's OK to Laugh at His Work
William O’Connor
August 22, 2014
How did you develop this knack for inventing, and surrealism?
Michel Gondry on ‘Mood Indigo,’ Kanye West, and the 10th Anniversary of ‘Eternal Sunshine’
Marlow Stern
July 20, 2014
But to sit through an entire Jodorowsky film requires an extremely high tolerance for surrealism (or maybe LSD).
‘Jodorowsky’s Dune’ and the Allure of the Unmade Masterpiece
Caryn James
March 19, 2014
It was his mix of expressionism and surrealism, however, that allowed Freud a legacy of admiration rather than notoriety.
A New Book Gives A Rare Glimpse Into The Life of Lucian Freud
Erin Cunningham
October 22, 2013
Director Alex Nazari blurs the lines between reality and surrealism in this track, “Numb.”
Wiz Khalifa, Paramore & More Best Music Videos of the Week (VIDEO)
Jean Trinh
April 14, 2013

British Dictionary definitions for surrealism

surrealism

noun

(sometimes capital) a movement in art and literature in the 1920s, which developed esp from dada, characterized by the evocative juxtaposition of incongruous images in order to include unconscious and dream elements

Derived Formssurrealist, noun, adjectivesurrealistic, adjectivesurrealistically, adverb

Word Origin for surrealism

C20: from French surréalisme, from sur- 1 + réalisme realism

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for surrealism

1927, from French surréalisme (from sur- "beyond" + réalisme "realism"), coined c.1917 by Guillaume Apollinaire, taken over by Andre Breton as the name of the movement he launched in 1924 with "Manifeste de Surréalisme." Taken up in English at first in the French form; the anglicized version is from 1931.

De cette alliance nouvelle, car jusqu'ici les décors et les costumes d'une part, la chorégraphie d'autre part, n'avaient entre eux qu'un lien factice, il este résulté, dans 'Parade,' une sorte de surréalisme. [Apollinaire, "Notes to 'Parade' "]

surrealism in Culture

surrealism

A movement in art and literature that flourished in the early twentieth century. Surrealism aimed at expressing imaginative dreams and visions free from conscious rational control. Salvador Dali was an influential surrealist painter; Jean Cocteau was a master of surrealist film.