Apposition

/ˌæpəˈzɪʃən/ noun

Definition

In grammar, when two words or phrases sit side by side and describe the same thing in different ways, like 'My friend Sarah' or 'John, the teacher.'

Etymology

From Latin appositus (placed near), combining ad- (to) and ponere (to place). It entered English in the 16th century as a grammatical term.

Kelly Says

Apposition is how language lets you add extra info without changing the sentence structure—'My cat Mittens' tells you both what the animal is and its name in one smooth flow. It's an elegant shortcut that makes writing tighter and clearer.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.