Juxtapose
verb /ˈdʒʌkstəpəʊz/ — Placing two contrasting things side by side to reveal something in both.
Definition
To place two things close together, especially for contrasting effect.
Beyond the definition
One of the writer's most powerful tools. Juxtaposition creates meaning through contrast — placing the sublime next to the mundane, the comic next to the tragic. It doesn't require comment; the reader supplies the meaning.
Origin & history
From Latin juxta 'next to' + French poser 'to place.' To place beside.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The director juxtaposed footage of luxury yachts with homeless encampments — no narration needed.
She juxtaposed childhood photos with current ones to show what stays and what changes.
Good satire juxtaposes what people say with what they do.
The architect juxtaposed exposed concrete with antique timber beams — brutal and warm, each making the other stranger and more interesting.
The most powerful eulogies juxtapose the ordinary details of a life with the size of the loss.
Synonyms
contrast, compare, set against, place beside
Antonyms
separate, isolate
Related words
- antithesis
- irony
- contrast
- foil
Juxtapose vs contrast
To juxtapose is to place two things side by side — it describes the act of deliberate positioning. Contrast describes the difference that the juxtaposition reveals. You juxtapose *in order to create* contrast; contrast is what you discover once you have. A writer juxtaposes; a reader notices the contrast. Juxtapose is the method; contrast is the result.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Orator holding seedling and chain
An orator gestures, holding a fragile seedling in one hand and a heavy iron chain on their shoulder, contrasting the two.
Placing these two symbolic items close together creates an immediate visual tension, demonstrating the effect of placing opposing concepts side-by-side to emphasize their differences and inherent conflict.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration