appositions Definition
a grammatical construction in which two elements, normally noun phrases, are placed side by side, with one element serving to identify the other in a different way.
Using appositions: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "appositions" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
In the sentence 'My friend, the doctor, is coming over tonight,' 'the doctor' is in apposition to 'my friend.'
Example
The phrase 'the city of lights,' where 'lights' is in apposition to 'city,' is a common example of this construction.
Example
Appositions can also be used to provide additional information about a person's name, such as 'John Smith, the CEO of XYZ Corporation.'
Origins of appositions
from Latin 'appositio', meaning 'putting near'
Summary: appositions in Brief
An 'apposition' [ˌæpəˈzɪʃənz] is a grammatical construction in which two elements, usually noun phrases, are placed side by side, with one element identifying the other in a different way. For example, in the sentence 'My friend, the doctor, is coming over tonight,' 'the doctor' is in apposition to 'my friend.' This construction can also be used to provide additional information about a person's name, such as 'John Smith, the CEO of XYZ Corporation.'