incongruity

UK/ɪnkɒŋˈɡɹuːɪti/US/ɪnkɑŋˈɡɹuɪti/

nounC2Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #15,073 of 15,258leans written

Other forms: incongruities

An incongruity is the state of not fitting with the surroundings. A slight incongruity.

Most humour depends on it, since a joke sets up one expectation and delivers another. An incongruity is noticed before it can be explained, which is why it works so fast.

Definitions of incongruity

1nounincongruityThe state of not fitting with the surroundings.C2
“The incongruity of a grand piano in a caravan was the whole joke.”

incongruity is a state.

Where it comes from

Latin incongruitas comes from incongruus, not agreeing, from in plus congruere, to come together.

Latin
incongruus
Medieval Latin
incongruitās
Middle French
incongruité
English, today
incongruity

From Middle French incongruité, from Medieval Latin incongruitās, from Latin incongruus.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

incongruity in the wild

Portrayals of surreal humour tend to involve bizarre juxtapositions, incongruity, non-sequiturs, irrational or absurd situations, and expressions of nonsense.
Surreal humour
Although various classical theories of humor and laughter may be found, in contemporary academic literature, three theories of humor appear repeatedly: relief theory, superiority theory, and incongruity theory.
Theories of humor
There is, however, consensus that these theories, especially incongruity, have been building blocks for some later ones.
Theories of humor
Some reviewers noted that seeing a roller coaster in the background was an "incongruity".
Dinosaurs Alive! (attraction)

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

the incongruus family

incongruous incongruity

incongruity — used about once every 159,543 pages · #15,073 · point at the bar for the others

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