Surrealisms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A movement in art and literature that seeks to express the unconscious mind and explore dreamlike scenarios
2. A style characterized by bizarre or fantastical imagery that often defies logical reasoning
3. A tendency in creative works to challenge reality by introducing irrational elements and unexpected juxtapositions

Etymology: The word "surrealism" was coined in 1917 by Guillaume Apollinaire, the French poet, who used "surréalisme" to describe the theatrical style of Jean Cocteau's ballet "Parade." Apollinaire built it from the French "sur-", meaning "above" or "beyond," and "réalisme," so the word literally points to something beyond realism. The surrealist movement that André Breton later launched in 1924 took the term and gave it a far wider reach. The French form descends from Latin "super," meaning "above," and "realis," a Late Latin adjective from "res," meaning "thing." English borrowed "surréalisme" from French, and the English noun "surrealism" appears in the source as a direct borrowing. The suffix "-ism" comes from Greek "-ismos" through Latin and French, marking a doctrine or style. The plural "surrealisms" is the form of "surrealism" used when referring to several distinct styles or movements, such as the various strands of surrealist art and writing that developed in different countries.

Synonyms: fantasies, dreamscapes, absurdities, illogicalities, unrealities

Antonyms: realism, pragmatism, literalism, truth, fact