Definition & Meaning of "apposition"

Apposition

NOUN

the act of positioning close together (or side by side)

(biology) growth in the thickness of a cell wall by the deposit of successive layers of material

(grammar) the use of two adjacent noun phrases having the same referent that have the same syntactical role in a sentence

What is "apposition"?

Apposition is a grammatical construction where two noun phrases are placed next to each other, with one noun phrase providing additional information about the other. The two phrases usually refer to the same person or thing, and the second phrase clarifies or specifies the first. For example, in the sentence "My brother, a skilled musician, plays the guitar," the phrase "a skilled musician" is in apposition to "my brother," offering more detail about him. Apposition can help provide context or elaboration without needing to create separate sentences, enhancing clarity and depth in communication.

Example

Writers often use apposition to add descriptive detail, as in "The artist, known for his vibrant paintings, held an exhibition."

Understanding apposition is essential for parsing complex sentences, as it helps in identifying the relationships between different parts of the sentence.

In the study of syntax, apposition is analyzed to see how additional information is integrated seamlessly into sentences without disrupting the flow.

In linguistics, apposition refers to a grammatical construction where two elements, usually noun phrases, are placed side by side, with one element serving to define or modify the other.

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Definition & Meaning of "apposition"

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