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.

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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

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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

Example Sentences

Such contradiction is not unusual in China's top-down system, Ma says.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

To explore this contradiction, researchers analyzed 196 overnight recordings from 44 healthy adults.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

Steven J. Lockjaw, a military officer obsessed with Taylor’s revolutionary Perfidia Beverly Hills, overtly embodies this contradiction.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2026

It’s a contradiction at best, and hypocrisy at worst.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

Calling infinitesimals “ghosts of departed quantities,” Berkeley showed how making these infinitesimals disappear with impunity can lead to a contradiction.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

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