juxtaposition

noun

jux·​ta·​po·​si·​tion ˌjək-stə-pə-ˈzi-shən 

: the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side often to compare or contrast or to create an interesting effect

an unusual juxtaposition of colors

The juxtaposition of Holly's career with the content of her podcast might leave audience members scratching their heads.

—Nick Kasmik

also : the state of being so placed

contrasting shapes placed in juxtaposition to each other

A five-minute ferry ride from Brooklyn and Manhattan, [Governor's Island] feels distant yet impossibly close, and the juxtaposition of vertical city and languorous landscape is almost surreal.

—Justin Davidson

juxtapositional

ˌjək-stə-pə-ˈzi-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Examples of juxtaposition in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The juxtapositions of text and image, which strongly suggest the widening distance between mother and daughter, build in emotional and intellectual power over the film’s ninety-minute duration. —Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 8 May 2026

So the juxtaposition became even more noticeable. —Devon Ivie, Vulture, 7 May 2026

But most of the juxtapositions are vague and sloppy. —Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 4 May 2026

The king and queen have not yet remarked on the juxtaposition. —Terry Collins, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin juxta near + English position — more at joust

First Known Use

1654, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for juxtaposition

• academician
• cycloaddition
• decomposition
• diagnostician
• disinhibition
• indisposition
• interposition
• mathematician
• metacognition
• metaphysician
• neurotransmission
• nonrecognition

Medical Definition

juxtaposition

noun

jux·​ta·​po·​si·​tion ˌjək-stə-pə-ˈzish-ən 

: the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side

also : the state of being so placed

juxtapose

ˈjək-stə-ˌpōz 

transitive verb

juxtaposed; juxtaposing