n.
Pronunciation: ' kän- ˌ trast
Function: noun
Date: 1711
1 a : juxtaposition of dissimilar elements (as color, tone, or emotion) in a work of art b : degree of difference between the lightest and darkest parts of a picture
2 a : the difference or degree of difference between things having similar or comparable natures <the contrast between the two forms of government> b : comparison of similar objects to set off their dissimilar qualities : the state of being so compared <the enforced simplicity in this diary ⋯ is in contrast to the intensity of his former life ― Times Lit. Supp. >
3 : a person or thing that exhibits differences when compared with another