juxtaposition

American  

[juhk-stuh-puh-zish-uhn] / ˌdʒʌk stə pəˈzɪʃ ən /

noun

juxtapositions plural

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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• juxtapositional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• juxtapositions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of juxtaposition

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

Explanation

If a waiter served you a whole fish and a scoop of chocolate ice cream on the same plate, your surprise might be caused by the juxtaposition, or the side-by-side contrast, of the two foods. Any time unlike things bump up against each other, you can describe it as a juxtaposition. Imagine a funeral mourner telling jokes graveside, and you get the idea — the juxtaposition in this case is between grief and humor. Juxtaposition of two contrasting items is often done deliberately in writing, music, or art — in order to highlight their differences.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

juxtaposition juxtapositions

The race also featured a stark generational juxtaposition, with DeGette, 68, having held public office since well before Kiros, 29, was even born.

From Salon ● Jul. 1, 2026

“I think the juxtaposition is the point,” Orchison said.

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026

Meagan adds that she enjoys the juxtaposition of the "bravado" of ice hockey mixed with the characters' "vulnerability underneath".

From BBC ● May 30, 2026

The nostalgic tone of the collection was captured by some attendees who praised the juxtaposition of pieces, resulting in fluid, less cinched silhouettes reminiscent of 1940s Hollywood.

From Barron's ● May 14, 2026

In The Magnolia Jungle the juxtaposition of the best of these columns against a background of stark horror gives a striking effect.

From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin

Loïc Gouzer, a former Christie’s rainmaker who created the app six years ago, said ensconcing Banksy inside a luxury jeweler nodded to the artist’s preference for high-low juxtapositions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

He followed it with a succession of intensely theatrical divertissements, often revolving around unexpected intellectual conceits or bizarre juxtapositions and featuring brilliant dialogue, puns, repartee, double meanings and misunderstandings.

From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2025

In a preface, the film director Guillermo del Toro likens this collection to early modern cabinets of curiosities, whose juxtapositions of natural and artificial objects were meant to expose a hidden order of existence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025

Could we then define L.A. music as simply be music of, and open to, juxtapositions?

From Los Angeles Times ● May 16, 2025

The loveliest scenes, he found, were comprised of the simplest, most natural juxtapositions of native plants.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson