juxtaposition
/ˌdʒʌk.stə.pəˈzɪʃ.ən/The act of placing two or more things side by side, especially to show how they are different. It is a common technique in writing, art, and film.
- The photo's power came from the juxtaposition of poverty and luxury.
- The essay used juxtaposition to compare city life with village life.
- The director placed joy and grief in juxtaposition throughout the film.
Adinary Nuance
Juxtaposition is often confused with contrast and comparison, but each word does a different job. Contrast describes the result — that two things are different. Juxtaposition describes the technique — the deliberate act of placing those things side by side so the difference becomes visible. Comparison is the broadest of the three; it can highlight either similarities or differences and doesn't require physical or structural placement. In IELTS and academic writing, choose juxtaposition when you want to describe how a writer, artist, or speaker arranges two ideas together for effect — it signals analytical thinking, not just observation of difference.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- Sự đặt cạnh nhau
- Spanish
- Yuxtaposición
- Chinese
- 并置对比
- Japanese
- 並置
- Korean
- 병치
Etymology
From Latin "juxta" (meaning "beside" or "near") combined with "positio" (meaning "placement"), passed through French into English in the mid-19th century. The Latin root directly reflects the word's core idea: putting things next to each other.
Common phrases
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between juxtaposition and contrast?
- Contrast describes the fact that two things are different. Juxtaposition describes the deliberate technique of placing those two things side by side to make that difference clear. You can have contrast without juxtaposition, but juxtaposition almost always creates contrast.
- Is juxtaposition only used in literature and art?
- No. While it is very common in literary analysis and art criticism, juxtaposition is also used in everyday academic writing, journalism, and even casual speech when someone places two contrasting ideas next to each other to make a point.
- Is 'juxtaposition' a formal word? Can I use it in IELTS writing?
- Yes, it is a formal and academic word, which makes it well suited for IELTS Task 2 essays and academic writing. Using it correctly — to describe how an author or speaker arranges contrasting ideas — can demonstrate a strong command of analytical vocabulary.
- How do you pronounce 'juxtaposition'?
- It is pronounced juk-stuh-puh-ZI-shuhn, with the main stress on the fourth syllable. The 'jux' at the start sounds like the word 'jucks', and the ending sounds like 'position'.