contradict
Americanverb (used with object)
-
contradicts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
contradicted,
past participle, past
-
contradicting
present participle
-
to assert the contrary or opposite of; deny directly and categorically.
- Synonyms:
- dispute, controvert, impugn, gainsay
- Antonyms:
- support
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to speak contrary to the assertions of.
to contradict oneself.
- Synonyms:
- dispute, controvert, impugn, gainsay
-
(of an action or event) to imply a denial of.
His way of life contradicts his stated principles.
-
Obsolete. to speak or declare against; oppose.
verb (used without object)
-
contradicts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
contradicted,
past participle, past
-
contradicting
present participle
verb
-
(tr) to affirm the opposite of (a proposition, statement, etc)
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(tr) to declare (a proposition, statement, etc) to be false or incorrect; deny
-
(intr) to be argumentative or contrary
-
(tr) to be inconsistent with (a proposition, theory, etc)
the facts contradicted his theory
-
(intr) (of two or more facts, principles, etc) to be at variance; be in contradiction
Synonym Usage
See deny.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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contradicternoun
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contradictivenessnoun
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contradictornoun
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contradictableadjective
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contradictiveadjective
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uncontradictableadjective
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uncontradictedadjective
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contradictivelyadverb
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uncontradictablyadverb
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uncontradictedlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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contradictsimple
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contradictssimple
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have contradictedperfect
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has contradictedperfect
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am contradictingprogressive
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are contradictingprogressive
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is contradictingprogressive
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have been contradictingperfect progressive
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has been contradictingperfect progressive
Past
-
contradictedsimple
-
had contradictedperfect
-
was contradictingprogressive
-
were contradictingprogressive
-
had been contradictingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of contradict
First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin contrādictus “spoken against,” past participle of contrādīcere “to gainsay, speak against,” from contrā- contra- 1 ( def. ) + dīcere “to say, speak, tell”
Explanation
"Contra-" usually means "against," and to contradict is to go against or say the opposite of what someone else is doing or saying. Sometimes to contradict is to frustrate with words, like when one person says "The sky is blue" and another says "No, it's azure." Denying or distorting the truth is a big part of trying to contradict. It can be harmless verbal back-and-forth, like when a husband and wife disagree just to disagree, or contradict each other to make a humorous point, but at other times people contradict something to make another person look like a liar. Often, a person who has lied will later contradict himself by saying something different from what he said earlier — and sometimes the two sides contradict each other, and neither is actually right.
Vocabulary lists containing contradict
The Language of Standardized Tests, List 1
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 1–6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Upbeat spending is particularly remarkable because it seems to contradict downbeat consumer sentiment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Rosval, trying to build kitchens in which creativity and humane working conditions reinforce, rather than contradict, one another.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
In Compernolle’s view, the recent selling could still easily reverse if upcoming economic data contradict Wednesday’s strong S&P manufacturing data.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
Werb argued that "outside support does not necessarily contradict the bloc's sovereigntist stance".
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
Mark Antony could not very well contradict this statement without admitting that he actually had suffered a crushing defeat.
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
"For example, when what you see contradicts with what you hear, do you still use the same kind of mechanisms to reconcile these two?" she wonders.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026
What’s absolutely fascinating, and totally on-brand, is how Marsh contradicts, criticizes and updates himself between the various books.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
This contradicts recent theories of some analysts that the capacity expansion by the likes of SK Hynix might lead to oversupply and lower prices.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
It sounds like Justice Alito’s opinion contradicts the reality on the ground.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026
“It almost contradicts itself,” she says after a moment.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Mickelson hired defamation attorney Tom Clare, who said video evidence contradicted the allegations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
The advisers’ positive outlook, however, was somewhat contradicted by their concern regarding specific policy risks.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
That was disputed by Arkady Dvorkovich, who told the BBC in written answers, that "accusations about 'Russian influence' are false and contradicted by how Fide is governed."
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Xiao’s reveal drove the Americans to openly lambast each other, as one official dismissed Xiao’s assessments, only to be contradicted by colleagues.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
He understood that his thoughts contradicted his actions; he had long since accepted that.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
The answer, in the end, was by breaking his lifelong conditioning, contradicting one of the main qualifications of heroic worthiness established by a council of powerful beings most people aren’t even aware exists.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
A former employee testified on Wednesday that some of Meta's safety tools for Facebook and Instagram were "designed to fail," contradicting the company's defense strategy in a landmark trial in California.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
County prosecutor, accused Hochman of contradicting himself, questioning the D.A.’s efforts to justify the officers’ coarse language.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
That decision, cutting short the process and contradicting his earlier assurances of due process, shocked Mr. Khan’s own staff.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
Its editors decided that contradicting the beliefs of prominent citizens was a risk they shouldn’t take.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
