absurdity
English
Etymology
First attested around 1472. From Middle English absurdite,[1] then from either Middle French absurdité, or from Late Latin absurditas (“dissonance, incongruity”), from Latin absurdus + -itas (“quality, state, degree”).[2][3] Equivalent to absurd + -ity.
Pronunciation
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- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 159: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value US is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /æbˈsɝd.ɪ.ti/, /æbˈzɝd.ɪ.ti/, /əbˈsɝd.ɪ.ti/, /əbˈzɝd.ɪ.ti/
Noun
absurdity (countable and uncountable, plural absurdities)
- (countable) That which is absurd; an absurd action; a logical contradiction. [First attested in the late 15th century.][3]
- (Can we date this quote?), Johnson, (Please provide the book title or journal name):
- His travels were full of absurdities.
- (uncountable) The quality of being absurd or inconsistent with obvious truth, reason, or sound judgment. [First attested in the early 16th century.][3]
- (Can we date this quote?), John Locke, (Please provide the book title or journal name):
- The absurdity of the actual idea of an infinite number.
- 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, New York, N.Y.: Columbia University Press, →ISBN, page viii:
- 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."
- (obsolete, rare) Dissonance. [Attested from around 1350 to 1470 until the late 17th century.][3]
Translations
the quality of being absurd
|
an absurd action
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
References
- ^ Laurence Urdang (editor), The Random House College Dictionary (Random House, 1984 [1975], →ISBN), page 7
- ^ Philip Babcock Gove (editor), Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged (G. & C. Merriam Co., 1976 [1909], →ISBN), page 8
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief, William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “absurdity”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 10.
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms borrowed from Middle French
- English terms derived from Middle French
- English terms borrowed from Late Latin
- English terms derived from Late Latin
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms suffixed with -ity
- English 4-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with quotations
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English terms with rare senses