surrealism

[ suh-ree-uh-liz-uhm ]

noun

, (sometimes initial capital letter)

1. 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.

surrealism

/ səˈrɪəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. 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

surrealism

1. 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.

Derived Forms

• surˈrealist, nounadjective
• surˌrealˈistic, adjective
• surˌrealˈistically, adverb

Other Words From

• sur·real·ist noun adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of surrealism¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of surrealism¹

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

Example Sentences

But meta layers of surrealism are on brand for Aitken, who said he’s “really interested in that idea of, like, where the line between fiction and nonfiction gets blurred.”

From Los Angeles Times

Judges praised its "winning lyrical mix of surrealism and social observation," saying it had a "subtle way of wearing its musical innovations lightly."

From BBC

How is writing for “Matlock,” a meat and potatoes procedural, the same or different as writing for “Jane the Virgin,” which leaned on magical surrealism?

From Los Angeles Times

That mysterious estate, which has its roots in horror games like Resident Evil, is a place shaped as much by its own architecture as by character psychology and surrealism.

From New York Times

As teenagers, my friends and I read Auster’s work avidly for both its strangeness — that touch of European surrealism — and its closeness.

From New York Times