Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The state or quality of being absurd or inconsistent with obvious truth, reason, or sound judgment; want of rationality or common sense: as, the absurdity of superstition; absurdity of conduct.
- noun That which is absurd; an absurd action, statement, argument, custom, etc.: as, the absurdities of men; your explanation involves a gross absurdity.
- noun Synonyms Absurdness, silliness, unreasonableness, self-contradiction, preposterousness, inconsistency. See
folly .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The quality of being absurd or inconsistent with obvious truth, reason, or sound judgment.
- noun That which is absurd; an absurd action; a logical contradiction.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a message whose content is at variance with reason
- noun a ludicrous folly
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word absurdity.
Examples
-
Chairing the debate was UK Liberal Democrat MEP Diana Wallis, who objected when Dartmouth raised what he called the absurdity of southern European states being involved in any policy to do with the Arctic.
Politics news, UK and world political comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk 2010
-
The 'absurdity' is the treating of stock and option grants DIFFERENTLY.
Stock Options as Tax Deferral, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009
-
The absurdity is that her students don't yet know the alphabet.
Carol Smaldino: To Mayor Bloomberg: Stop the Bullying Carol Smaldino 2010
-
In the spirit of sorting out some of the absurdity from the more reasonable discourse going in the environmental discussion, let
Supporting Sanity Over Fear: TreeHugger Examines The Most Contentious Environmental Debates treehugger.com 2010
-
The absurdity is that her students don't yet know the alphabet.
Carol Smaldino: To Mayor Bloomberg: Stop the Bullying Carol Smaldino 2010
-
The absurdity is that her students don't yet know the alphabet.
Carol Smaldino: To Mayor Bloomberg: Stop the Bullying Carol Smaldino 2010
-
In the spirit of sorting out some of the absurdity from the more reasonable discourse going in the environmental discussion, let's look at some of the issues which seem to bring on some of the most contentious debate.
Supporting Sanity Over Fear: TreeHugger Examines The Most Contentious Environmental Debates treehugger.com 2010
-
The entirety of the absurdity is eerily similar to Joseph K being accused of a crime he does not know.
Global Voices in English » Egypt: US “Activist” Travis Randall Deported 2009
-
A certain Dada-esque absurdity is probably the best contribution to discussions of this nature.
-
The absurdity is that her students don't yet know the alphabet.
Carol Smaldino: To Mayor Bloomberg: Stop the Bullying Carol Smaldino 2010
itsteganyay commented on the word absurdity
"What, has she frightened away some of your lovers? Poor little Lizzy! But do not be cast down. Such squeamish youths as cannot bear to be connected with a little absurdity are not worth a regret. Come, let me see the list of pitiful fellows who have been kept aloof by Lydia's folly." - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
August 16, 2015