means An early 20th-century artistic and literary movement that sought to unleash the unconscious mind, juxtaposing dreamlike, irrational, and unexpected imagery.

from Coined by the poet Guillaume Apollinaire around 1917, from French surréalisme — sur- 'above, beyond' (from Latin super) plus réalisme 'realism.' Literally 'above realism,' meaning a reality heightened past the everyday. André Breton seized the word for his 1924 manifesto, and from then on it belonged to the dreamers.