Juxtaposition

🔊 juk-stuh-puh-ZISH-un  ·  noun

Juxtaposition is what happens when you put two very different things right next to each other and just let the contrast speak for itself. No explaining required — set a photo of a crumbling barn beside a gleaming skyscraper, or the word "always" next to the word "never," and the meaning shows up on its own. It's less about what either thing means alone, and more about what suddenly becomes obvious once they're standing shoulder to shoulder.