Dictionary

absurdity en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /əbˈsɜːd.ɪ.ti/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /əbˈsɝd.ɪ.ti/ (US)
• /æbˈzɝd.ɪ.ti/ (US)
• /æbˈsɝd.ɪ.ti/ (US)
• /əbˈzɝd.ɪ.ti/ (US)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

First attested around 1472. From Middle English absurdite, then from either Middle French absurdité, or from Late Latin absurditas (“dissonance, incongruity”), from Latin absurdus + -itas (“quality, state, degree”). Equivalent to absurd + -ity.

Meanings

1. (countable) That which is absurd; an absurd action; a logical contradiction.
   • And it is a fact that in these two days the boy had almost talked over his mother, too; had parried all her objections one after another with that indignant good sense which is often the perfection of absurdity … 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 7, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:
2. (uncountable) The quality of being absurd or inconsistent with obvious truth, reason, or sound judgment.
   • The absurdity of the actual idea of an infinite number 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC:
   • Neither [Jones][…] nor I (in 1966) could conceive of reducing our "science" to the ultimate absurdity of reading Finnish newspapers almost a century and a half old in order to establish "priority." 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page viii:
   • There's credit too for highlighting the problems of Manchester's Castlefield Corridor, where he showed the absurdity of building Ordsall Chord to feed more trains into the congested corridor without upgrading the corridor itself. 2023 July 12, Philip Haigh, “Narrow narrative overlooks past and present achievements”, in RAIL, number 987, page 50:
3. (countable, obsolete, rare, uncountable) Dissonance.

Forms

Translations (71)

nb absurditet (that which is absurd, absurd action) · fi järjettömyys (quality of being absurd) · pt absurdidade (that which is absurd, absurd action) · gl absurdo (that which is absurd, absurd action) · es absurdidad (quality of being absurd) · kk мағынасыздық (quality of being absurd) · fi absurdius (quality of being absurd) · pl bezsensowność (quality of being absurd) · cs absurdnost (quality of being absurd) · ro absurditate (that which is absurd, absurd action) · pt absurdo (that which is absurd, absurd action) · nb absurditet (quality of being absurd) · ca absurditat (that which is absurd, absurd action) · hi असंगति (quality of being absurd) · be бязглу́здасць (quality of being absurd) · uk абсу́рдність (quality of being absurd) · eo absurdaĵo (that which is absurd, absurd action) · es absurdo (that which is absurd, absurd action) · ru неле́пость (quality of being absurd) · hu abszurdum (quality of being absurd) · pl absurd (that which is absurd, absurd action) · gl absurdeza (that which is absurd, absurd action) · eo absurdeco (quality of being absurd) · ka აბსურდულობა (that which is absurd, absurd action) · ro absurd (that which is absurd, absurd action) · hu képtelenség (that which is absurd, absurd action) · nb absurdisme (that which is absurd, absurd action) · be недарэ́чнасць (quality of being absurd) · pl bezsens (that which is absurd, absurd action) · ru абсу́рдность (quality of being absurd) · mk апсурд (that which is absurd, absurd action) · cs absurdita (quality of being absurd) · de Absurdität (that which is absurd, absurd action) · pl absurdalność (quality of being absurd) · be абсу́рднасць (quality of being absurd) · uk безглу́здість (quality of being absurd) · ro absurditate (quality of being absurd) · ca absurd (that which is absurd, absurd action) · ar سَخَافَة (quality of being absurd) · da absurditet (that which is absurd, absurd action) · sh àpsurd (that which is absurd, absurd action) · pt absurdidade (quality of being absurd) · hu abszurditás (that which is absurd, absurd action) · yi אַבסורד (that which is absurd, absurd action) · ru абсу́рд (that which is absurd, absurd action) · bg абсу́рдност (quality of being absurd) · hi विसंगति (quality of being absurd) · it assurdità (that which is absurd, absurd action) · gl absurdeza (quality of being absurd) · hi विसंगति (that which is absurd, absurd action) · hy անհեթեթություն (that which is absurd, absurd action) · ka აბსურდულობა (quality of being absurd) · fi mielettömyys (quality of being absurd) · gd amaideas (quality of being absurd) · es absurdidad (that which is absurd, absurd action) · gv meecheeallid (quality of being absurd) · hi असंगति (that which is absurd, absurd action) · sv absurditet (quality of being absurd) · de Absurdität (quality of being absurd) · hu abszurdum (that which is absurd, absurd action) · fi mielettömyys (that which is absurd, absurd action) · ka აბსურდი (that which is absurd, absurd action) · hy անհեթեթություն (quality of being absurd) · ca absurditat (quality of being absurd) · pl niedorzeczność (quality of being absurd) · sh а̀псурд (that which is absurd, absurd action) · la absurditas (quality of being absurd) · bg абсу́рд (that which is absurd, absurd action) · fi järjenvastaisuus (quality of being absurd) · da absurditet (quality of being absurd) · it assurdità (quality of being absurd)