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Added 9 October 2026

absurdity

/əbˈsɜːd.ɪ.ti/ noun

In Latin: absurditas First recorded: 1472 Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about absurdity at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A message whose content is at variance with reason.
A ludicrous folly.
the crowd laughed at the absurdity of the clown's behavior

Origin

First attested around 1472. From Middle English absurdite, then from either Middle French absurdité, or from Late Latin absurditas (“dissonance, incongruity”), from Latin absurdus + -itas (“quality, state, degree”). Equivalent to absurd + -ity.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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