contradiction

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noun con·tra·dic·tion \ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-shən\

: the act of saying something that is opposite or very different in meaning to something else

: a difference or disagreement between two things which means that both cannot be true

Full Definition of CONTRADICTION

1

:  act or an instance of contradicting

2

a :  a proposition, statement, or phrase that asserts or implies both the truth and falsity of something

b :  a statement or phrase whose parts contradict each other <a round square is a contradiction in terms>

3

a :  logical incongruity

b :  a situation in which inherent factors, actions, or propositions are inconsistent or contrary to one another

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Examples of CONTRADICTION

1. No one was surprised by the defendant's contradiction of the plaintiff's accusations.
2. Her rebuttal contained many contradictions to my arguments.
3. There have been some contradictions in his statements.
4. There is a contradiction between what he said yesterday and what he said today.
5. Her statements are mired in contradiction.
6. What he said yesterday is in direct contradiction to what he said today.

First Known Use of CONTRADICTION

14th century

Related to CONTRADICTION

Synonyms

dichotomy, incongruity, paradox

Antonyms

acknowledgment (or acknowledgement), admission, avowal, confirmation

Related Words

antinomy; conundrum, enigma, mystery, mystification, puzzle, puzzlement, riddle

Near Antonyms

concession, confession; affirmation, assertion, declaration; attestation, corroboration, documentation, substantiation, testament, testimony, validation

Other Logic Terms

a posteriori, connotation, corollary, inference, mutually exclusive, paradox, postulate, syllogism

Rhymes with CONTRADICTION

benediction, crucifixion, dereliction, interdiction, jurisdiction, malediction, metafiction, science fiction, valediction