surrealism

[ suh-ree-uh-liz-uh m ]
/ səˈri əˌlɪz əm /

noun (sometimes initial capital letter)

a style of art and literature developed principally in the 20th century, stressing the subconscious or nonrational significance of imagery arrived at by automatism or the exploitation of chance effects, unexpected juxtapositions, etc.

Origin of surrealism

From the French word surréalisme, dating back to 1920–25. See sur-1, realism

OTHER WORDS FROM surrealism

sur·re·al·ist, noun, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for surrealism

British Dictionary definitions for surrealism

surrealism
/ (səˈrɪəˌlɪzəm) /

noun

(sometimes capital) a movement in art and literature in the 1920s, which developed esp from dada, characterized by the evocative juxtaposition of incongruous images in order to include unconscious and dream elements

Derived forms of surrealism

surrealist, noun, adjective surrealistic, adjective surrealistically, adverb

Word Origin for surrealism

C20: from French surréalisme, from sur- 1 + réalisme realism

Cultural definitions for surrealism

surrealism

A movement in art and literature that flourished in the early twentieth century. Surrealism aimed at expressing imaginative dreams and visions free from conscious rational control. Salvador Dali was an influential surrealist painter; Jean Cocteau was a master of surrealist film.