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paradoxically

American

[par-uh-dok-sik-lee] / ˌpær əˈdɒk sɪk li /

adverb

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.

Other Word Forms

nonparadoxically adverb
ultraparadoxically adverb
unparadoxically adverb

Etymology

Origin of paradoxically

paradoxical ( def. ) + -ly

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.

The decrease was driven, paradoxically, by cleaner air.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

He says that companies that could debut this year paradoxically have both high market capitalizations and the potential to be mega-growers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

The problem for Rocket Lab was, paradoxically, a successful space launch.

From Barron's • Dec. 15, 2025

A keystone’s angled downward pressure on each side locks the larger form in place, paradoxically allowing the arch to rise up.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2025

And yet so, paradoxically, did her left, her fiance’s gaze boring through her thin silk shade like a second solar power.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

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