Dictionary

surreality en · NOUN

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Italic *super Latin super Latin super- Old French sur- French sur- Proto-Indo-European *(H)reh₁-der. Proto-Indo-European *(H)reh₁ís Proto-Italic *reis Classical Latin rēs Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Late Latin reālisder. Old French reel Middle French real French réel Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íd͏̌d͏̌ō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ῐσμός (-ĭsmós)bor. Latin -ismusbor. French -isme French réalisme French surréalismebor. English surrealismbf. English surreal Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ts Latin -itāsder. Old French -itebor. Middle English -ite English -ity English surreality From surreal + -ity. Compare French surréalité.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The state of being incongruous or surreal.
   • The surreality of the crash scene dawned upon him only when he saw a holy figure in the smoke.
   • And when he goes to greet his mother the surreality of it all stares him in the face: in two years she's turned into a little old lady. 2008, Preeta Samarasan, Evening is the Whole Day, Fourth Estate, page 227:
2. (countable, uncountable) That which is surreal; a surreal entity, event or other fact.
   • The surrealities of life are the paradoxes thereof.

Forms

Relateds

surrealize · incongruity · surrealty · surrealism · surrealia