paradoxically

American  

[par-uh-dok-sik-lee] / ˌpær əˈdɒk sɪk li /

adverb

1. in a self-contradictory or seemingly self-contradictory way.

   Paradoxically, the more we know, the more we identify an increasing number of questions to which we as yet have no answers.

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Other Word Forms

• nonparadoxically
  adverb
• ultraparadoxically
  adverb
• unparadoxically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of paradoxically

paradoxical ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Paradoxically, the overwhelming show of force could persuade Iran to rush to build nuclear weapons, Singh said.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

Paradoxically, without pretending to reality, it makes some things more real.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

Paradoxically, at virtually the same time, the many stage adaptations of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” which dramatized, or melodramatized, the brutality of slavery, were an enduring sensation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

"Paradoxically, the tumour gave me a second chance, making me realise who I was and what I really wanted," he said.

From BBC • May 31, 2025

Paradoxically, he felt as if his getting dumped was the only thing happening on the entire dark and silent planet, and also as if it weren't happening at all.

From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green