paradoxical

American

[par-uh-dok-si-kuhl] / ˌpær əˈdɒk sɪ kəl /

Rarely paradoxal

adjective

having the nature of a paradox; self-contradictory.
Medicine/Medical. not being the normal or usual kind.

Stimulants are a paradoxical, albeit effective, medication used for certain forms of hyperactivity.

Other Word Forms

nonparadoxical adjective
nonparadoxicalness noun
paradoxicality noun
paradoxically adverb
paradoxicalness noun
ultraparadoxical adjective
unparadoxal adjective
unparadoxical adjective

Etymology

Origin of paradoxical

paradox + -ical

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.

It might sound paradoxical to use AI to combat AI.

From The Wall Street Journal

But, he said, there was a paradoxical element of hope in the fact that white sharks were turning up for sale.

From BBC

"These results also provide a potential explanation for how stimulants treat hyperactivity, which previously seemed paradoxical," Dosenbach added.

From Science Daily

But standardization had another, paradoxical effect: It allowed nonexperts to repair their own vehicles and other equipment.

From The Wall Street Journal

I’m skeptical but paradoxical evidence has emerged in recent days that Netflix’s mostly cash bid may be sincere.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023