defamiliarization

[ dee-fuh-mil-yer-uh-zey-shuhn ]

noun

1. Art, Literature. a theory and technique, originating in the early 20th century, in which an artistic or literary work presents familiar objects or situations in an unfamiliar way, prolonging the perceptive process and allowing for a fresh perspective.

Word History and Origins

Origin of defamiliarization¹

de- + familiarize + -ation; loan translation of Russian ostranenie

Example Sentences

This idea of defamiliarization, made famous in a 1917 essay by Russian literary critic Viktor Shklovsky, builds on our tendency not to notice things we encounter frequently.

From Slate

Defamiliarization disturbs all that and forces us to see experiences and objects anew.

From Slate

Writing and the arts function as a medium for defamiliarization.

From Slate

Artistic estrangement — originally ostranenie, a word coined by the Russian literary theorist Viktor Shklovsky — is sometimes translated as “defamiliarization.”

From New York Times

This is defamiliarization with a vengeance.

From New York Times