absurdity

noun

ab·​sur·​di·​ty əb-ˈsər-də-tē  -ˈzər- 

plural absurdities

1

: the quality or state of being absurd : absurdness

They laughed at the absurdity of the situation.

2

: something that is absurd

the absurdities of life

Synonyms of absurdity

• insanity
• idiocy

Examples of absurdity in a Sentence

to say men can't cook as well as women is of course an absurdity

the absurdity of expecting a 98-year-old woman to adequately supervise four six-year-olds

Recent Examples on the Web

There might be a small touch of some discomfort or dissonance or awkwardness or absurdity or something. —Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026

My colleague Sydney Lake has a new story on Natalie Marshall, or Corporate Natalie, whose social media accounts chronicle the absurdities of office life. —Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026

Dadaism—a radical, anti-war movement that employed shock and absurdity to challenge social conventions—was a defining influence on his art. —Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 6 Apr. 2026

The absurdity is that Democratic voters outnumber Republicans in California by nearly 2 to 1. —George Skelton, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English absurditee "dissonance, unjust practice," borrowed from Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French absurdité, borrowed from Late Latin absurditāt-, absurditās, from Latin absurdus absurd entry 1 + -itāt-, -itās -ity

First Known Use

circa 1525, in the meaning defined at sense 2