juxtaposition

[juhk-stuh-puh-zish-uhn]

noun

1. an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.

2. the state of being close together or side by side.

Other Word Forms

• juxtapositional adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of juxtaposition¹

First recorded in 1655–65; from French, from Latin juxtā “near, bordering, side by side” + French position position; joust ( def. )

Example Sentences

The juxtaposition has not gone unnoticed on social media, with critics highlighting the stark gap between the lavish celebration and daily necessity.

Read more on Salon

Kahn’s work is many things—study in color and juxtaposition, exercise in mark-making, celebration of nature.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Underneath an old, black-and-white photo of Londoners queuing at a fruit and vegetable stall surrounded by the bombed-out rubble of the Blitz, a second image - this time in colour - creates a striking juxtaposition.

Read more on BBC

The exhibition, filled with beautiful, illuminating juxtapositions of their work and accompanied by an expansive, scholarly catalog, is superb.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The marks of chisels and other hand tools are prominent across all their surfaces, which appear sleek from a distance, making for an exciting juxtaposition between material and method.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal