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

Derived Forms

• ultraparadoxically
  adverb
• unparadoxically
  adverb
• nonparadoxically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of paradoxically

paradoxical ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

And so this is why, paradoxically, the epic failure of HS2 might in fact mean the Western leg gets built in full.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

The fact that retail investors have been wary of the rally is paradoxically good news.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

“While people with dyslexia are slow readers, they often, paradoxically, are very fast and creative thinkers with strong reasoning abilities,” according to the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

Covert actions can actually support diplomacy by showing an enemy that armed conflict would fail and, paradoxically, lead to de-escalation, say practitioners.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

But, paradoxically, that gave Haitian slave owners a new home.

From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson