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

Rest assured, seeing the juxtaposition of the fiery eruption against a white backdrop is well worth the extra effort. —Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2025

There’s an almost comical juxtaposition between AI and a business that stands for preserving heritage craftsmanship. —Kirsty McGregor, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2025

In McManus’s strip, much of the humor derives from the juxtaposition between the wife’s class striving and her husband’s contentment with corned beef and cabbage. —Françoise Mouly, New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2025

There's a great juxtaposition of the working-class beavers, walruses, and aquatic animals of the ports in Marsh Market. —Katie Grant, Parents, 25 Nov. 2025

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