Absurdity: meaning, definitions and examples

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absurdity

 

[ əbˈsɜːrdɪti ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

in philosophy

The quality or state of being ridiculous or wildly unreasonable. Absurdity is often used to describe a situation or statement that is illogical, senseless, or contrary to reason.

Synonyms

irrationality, nonsense, ridiculousness

Examples of usage

  • His argument was filled with absurdity and lacked any logical basis.
  • The absurdity of the conspiracy theory became evident when no evidence could be found to support it.
Context #2 | Noun

in literature

An absurd or wildly unreasonable action or statement within a literary work. Absurdity in literature can serve as a form of satire, humor, or social commentary.

Synonyms

absurdness, folly, mockery

Examples of usage

  • The character's decision to wear a chicken suit to a funeral was a perfect example of literary absurdity.
  • The play used absurdity to highlight the absurdity of societal norms.

Translations

Translations of the word "absurdity" in other languages:

🇵🇹 absurdo

🇮🇳 बेतुकापन

🇩🇪 Absurdität

🇮🇩 kebodohan

🇺🇦 абсурдність

🇵🇱 absurd

🇯🇵 不条理

🇫🇷 absurdité

🇪🇸 absurdo

🇹🇷 saçmalık

🇰🇷 부조리

🇸🇦 العبثية

🇨🇿 absurdita

🇸🇰 absurdita

🇨🇳 荒谬

🇸🇮 absurdnost

🇮🇸 fáránleiki

🇰🇿 абсурд

🇬🇪 აბსურდი

🇦🇿 absurdlük

🇲🇽 absurdo

Etymology

The word 'absurdity' originated in the mid-16th century from the French word 'absurdité' and the Latin word 'absurditas', meaning 'dissonance, incongruity'. It has been used in philosophy, literature, and everyday language to describe situations or statements that defy logic or reason.

See also: absurd, absurdly, absurdness.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranked #11,124, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.