strangeness

noun strange·ness \ ˈstrānj-nəs \

|Updated on: 23 Jun 2018

Definition of strangeness

1 : the quality or state of being strange

2 : the flavor characterizing a strange quark

Recent Examples of strangeness from the Web

Charlie had a closer relationship to her grandma than others in her family, and the strangeness surrounding the Grahams begins when the youngster starts having visions of the old lady.

— brian truitt, USA TODAY, "Review: Insanely scary 'Hereditary' isn't easy to shake off," 7 June 2018
But the news conference, and perhaps that moment, underscored the strangeness of the entire idea – Edwards as Arizona State’s coach, the New Leadership Model, etc.

— george schroeder, USA TODAY, "Herm Edwards has plan to put Arizona State among elite in college football," 10 May 2018
In each, the strangeness come from a splitting — of women experiencing themselves as subject and object.

— parul sehgal, New York Times, "‘The Chandelier’ Offers an Early Glimpse of Clarice Lispector’s Power," 27 Mar. 2018
The intermittent strangenesses of Ravel’s harmonic language, a language that at the time was still in the process of being assimilated, mixed with the unassailable ripeness and sensuality of his orchestral mastery.

— joshua kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, "Symphony program harks back to a visit by Ravel," 20 Apr. 2018
Taylor came from a more classical schooling, and his music never lost its strangeness.

— david a. graham, The Atlantic, "The Deceptively Accessible Music of Cecil Taylor," 10 Apr. 2018
On Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, there was the strangeness of natural-disaster tourism.

— bonnie tsui, Redbook, "What It's Like to Travel Through 4 Countries In 3 Months With 2 Kids," 23 May 2017
That existential strangeness gets under your skin, despite how often people tend to ignore it.

— shakeil greeley, GQ, "Atlanta Robbin' Season Lets Hiro Murai Embrace the Weirdness of Real Life," 9 Mar. 2018
Anyone who’s followed Ortberg’s career wouldn’t expect anything less than the blend of searing intelligence, high-brow strangeness, and wit present in each story.

— allie briggs, refinery29.com, "This Author Is Reinventing Fairy Tale Princesses, & You'll Hardly Recognize Them," 14 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'strangeness.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of strangeness

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Spanish Central: Translation of strangeness Nglish: Translation of strangeness for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about strangeness

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strangeness

Definition of strangeness

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First Known Use of strangeness

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First Known Use of strangeness

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