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Definition of "surrealism" [surrealism]

  • A 20th-century literary and artistic movement that attempts to express the workings of the subconscious and is characterized by fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtaposition of subject matter. (noun)
  • Literature or art produced in this style. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "surrealism" in a sentence
  • "It's entirely possible that I'm using the term surrealism improperly."
  • "But literary surrealism is a little forgotten, no?"
  • "Anyone with half a brain will be leaving this country really soon ... definitely before this four year tour into surrealism is over!"