contradiction

noun

con·​tra·​dic·​tion ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-shən How to pronounce contradiction (audio)
1
: act or an instance of contradicting
the defendant's contradiction of the plaintiff's accusations
2
a
: a proposition, statement, or phrase that asserts or implies both the truth and falsity of something
… both parts of a contradiction cannot possibly be true …Thomas Hobbes
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

Examples of contradiction in a Sentence

No one was surprised by the defendant's contradiction of the plaintiff's accusations. Her rebuttal contained many contradictions to my arguments. There have been some contradictions in his statements. There is a contradiction between what he said yesterday and what he said today. Her statements are mired in contradiction. What he said yesterday is in direct contradiction to what he said today.
Recent Examples on the Web The speech also comes after Varadkar faced some criticism from home over the contradiction of his outward friendship with the U.S.—and cheerful holiday visit—despite the U.S.’s backing of Israel. TIME, 18 Mar. 2024 This approach reveals the web of deceit and the contradictions inherent to the crisis pregnancy center missions and the broader pro-life movement. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024 All of which only highlights the contradiction at the heart of the tale: For all their superpowers, the Bene Gesserit’s main purpose appears to be reproduction. Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 That book, another of Oyeyemi’s meta-textual inventions, reflects the contradictions of a country teetering between Communism and a market economy. Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2024 So there's something about that where the character also has to embody the contradiction of being one thing and not the other. EW.com, 24 Feb. 2024 There, in that speech, lay the central contradiction of Foster’s life—her desire to be seen, but on her own terms; her dueling impulses to connect and be left alone. Jordan Kisner, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2024 Which is just one more of the many contradictions at the heart of Freedom Bowls. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2024 His success, then, is also its own contradiction: Owens has made subversion covetable; his clothes, meant for the shunned, have been embraced as well by those who’d do the shunning. Hanya Yanagihara, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contradiction.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English contradiccioun "objection, opposition, contradiction in logic" borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French contradiction, borrowed from Latin contrādictiōn-, contrādictiō "act of speaking in opposition, counterargument" (Late Latin also "contradiction in logic," after Greek antíphasis), from contrādic-, variant stem of contrādīcere "to speak against, object to" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at contradict

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of contradiction was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near contradiction

Cite this Entry

“Contradiction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contradiction. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

contradiction

noun
con·​tra·​dic·​tion ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-shən How to pronounce contradiction (audio)
1
: something (as a statement) that contradicts something else
2
: a condition in which things oppose each other
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