contradiction

[kon-truh-dik-shuh n]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR contradiction ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of contradicting; gainsaying or opposition.

assertion of the contrary or opposite; denial.

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

direct opposition between things compared; inconsistency.

a contradictory act, fact, etc.

Origin of contradiction

1350–1400; Middle English contradiccioun (< Anglo-French) < Latin contrādictiōn- (stem of contrādictiō). See contradict, -ion

Related formsin·ter·con·tra·dic·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for contradiction

disagreement, discrepancy, conflict, difference, inconsistency, dispute, denial, opposite, incongruity, contravention, dissension, opposition, defiance, negation, confutation, bucking

Examples from the Web for contradiction

Contemporary Examples of contradiction

This may seem like a contradiction, if “conservative” means political conservatism.
Supreme Court to Gay-Marriage Foes: Get Lost
Jay Michaelson
October 6, 2014
Indeed, the very idea of a same-sex marriage seemed to most people a contradiction in terms.
Opposing Gay Marriage Doesn’t Make You a Crypto-Racist
Jonathan Rauch
April 24, 2014
For those who knew him best, he remained a study in contradiction.
The Man Who Knew Russia Best: George Kennan’s Revealing Diaries
James A. Warren
March 10, 2014
But beneath this oddball kumbaya story lies a contradiction.
Cory Booker’s Rabbis
Peter Beinart
June 13, 2013
This remains a contradiction until and unless the Afghan Taliban are pushed toward talks.
‘Homework to Do’: The Afghanistan-Pakistan Peace Talk Tipping Point
Shamila N. Chaudhary, Omar Samad
April 26, 2013

Historical Examples of contradiction

This explosion of the doctor's meant that he invited and awaited some contradiction.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
You may be inclined to think this a contradiction, for all such promptings to crime must be base.
The Channings
Mrs. Henry Wood
Here is a contradiction which it seems to me can scarcely be reconciled.
Freeland
Theodor Hertzka
People who will be dealing in contradiction ought to pay for it.
Clarissa, Volume 3 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
I am aware that what I am now saying appears to be in contradiction with my other statements.
The Truth About Woman
C. Gasquoine Hartley

British Dictionary definitions for contradiction

contradiction

noun

the act of going against; opposition; denial

a declaration of the opposite or contrary

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

conflict or inconsistency, as between events, qualities, etc

a person or thing containing conflicting qualities

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for contradiction

late 14c., from Old French contradiction or directly from Latin contradictionem (nominative contradictio) "a reply, objection, counterargument," noun of action from past participle stem of contradicere, in classical Latin contra dicere "to speak against," from contra "against" (see contra) + dicere "to speak" (see diction).