contradiction

American  

[kon-truh-dik-shuhn] / ˌkɒn trəˈdɪk ʃən /

noun

1. the act of contradicting; gainsaying or opposition.

2. assertion of the contrary or opposite; denial.

3. a statement or proposition that contradicts or denies another or itself and is logically incongruous.

4. direct opposition between things compared; inconsistency.

5. a contradictory act, fact, etc.

---

contradiction British  

/ ˌkɒntrəˈdɪkʃən /

noun

1. the act of going against; opposition; denial

2. a declaration of the opposite or contrary

3. a statement that is at variance with itself (often in the phrase a contradiction in terms )

4. conflict or inconsistency, as between events, qualities, etc

5. a person or thing containing conflicting qualities

6. logic a statement that is false under all circumstances; necessary falsehood

---

Other Word Forms

• intercontradiction
  noun

Etymology

Origin of contradiction

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English contradiccioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin contrādictiōn-, stem of contrādictiō “counterargument, objection, reply”; equivalent to contradict + -ion

Explanation

A contradiction is a situation or ideas in opposition to one another. Declaring publicly that you are an environmentalist but never remembering to take out the recycling is an example of a contradiction. A "contradiction in terms" is a common phrase used to describe a statement that contains opposing ideas. Examples of a contradiction in terms include, "the gentle torturer," "the towering midget," or "a snowy summer's day." A person can also express a contradiction, like the person who professes atheism, yet goes to church every Sunday.

Example Sentences

Back in the late 1980s, I published an article entitled "What Is Fascism — And Why Do Women Need to Know?" in Lesbian Contradiction, a paper I used to edit with three other women.

From Salon • Jun. 27, 2023

The influential treatise “Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture,” published by the Museum of Modern Art in 1966, provides lessons in generosity and humor that seem particularly relevant in our own time troubled by ideological polarization.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2018

His friend the historian and theorist Vincent Scully had guessed that Complexity and Contradiction would be the most important architectural text since Le Corbusier’s Vers Une Architecture.

From The Guardian • Sep. 23, 2018

Almost as influential as his “Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture” was Mr. Venturi’s second book, “Learning From Las Vegas,” written with Ms. Scott Brown and Steven Izenour, then a principal in the couple’s firm.

From New York Times • Sep. 19, 2018

Contradiction came the next moment in the excitement on deck.

From Syd Belton The Boy who would not go to Sea by Browne, Gordon

Related Words

• conflict
• difference
• disagreement
• discrepancy
• dispute
• inconsistency