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

Yet in extraordinary times the constant juxtaposition of the banal and the monstrous becomes surreal.

From Salon

In the 2010s, the juxtaposition of tech wealth and visible poverty grew increasingly stark.

From BBC

The brutality of the crimes and the juxtaposition of such violence against the family’s Beverly Hills image turned the case into an international media circus, only rivaled at the time by the O.J.

From Los Angeles Times

Their brand of baseball, at least in the eyes of that dragon up the freeway, was rooted in their persona as much as anything; a sharp juxtaposition to the Dodgers’ more subdued, even-keeled approach.

From Los Angeles Times

There’s also the juxtaposition of the affluent taking up spaces that have traditionally and stereotypically signaled the opposite.

From Salon