paradox
noun
par·a·dox
ˈper-ə-ˌdäks 
ˈpa-rə-
1
: one (such as a person, situation, or action) having seemingly contradictory qualities or phases
2
a
: a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true
b
: a self-contradictory statement that at first seems true
c
: an argument that apparently derives self-contradictory conclusions by valid deduction from acceptable premises
3
: a tenet contrary to received opinion
Did you know?
The ancient Greeks were well aware that a paradox can take us outside our usual way of thinking. They combined the prefix para- ("beyond" or "outside of") with the verb dokein ("to think"), forming paradoxos, an adjective meaning "contrary to expectation." Latin speakers used that word as the basis for a noun paradoxum, which English speakers borrowed during the 1500s to create paradox.
Examples of paradox in a Sentence
For the actors, the goal was a paradox: real emotion, produced on cue.
—
Claudia Roth Pierpont, New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2008
Again and again, he returns in his writing to the paradox of a woman who is superior to the men around her by virtue of social class though considered inferior to them on account of her gender.
—Terry Eagleton, Harper's, November 2007
She was certainly far from understanding him completely; his meaning was not at all times obvious. It was hard to see what he meant for instance by speaking of his provincial side—which was exactly the side she would have taken him most to lack. Was it a harmless paradox, intended to puzzle her? or was it the last refinement of high culture?
—Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady, 1881
Mr. Guppy propounds for Mr. Smallweed's consideration the paradox that the more you drink the thirstier you are and reclines his head upon the window-sill in a state of hopeless languor.
—Charles Dickens, Bleak House, 1852-53
It is a paradox that computers need maintenance so often, since they are meant to save people time.
As an actor, he's a paradox—he loves being in the public eye but also deeply values and protects his privacy.
a novel full of paradox
Claudia Roth Pierpont, New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2008
Again and again, he returns in his writing to the paradox of a woman who is superior to the men around her by virtue of social class though considered inferior to them on account of her gender.
—Terry Eagleton, Harper's, November 2007
She was certainly far from understanding him completely; his meaning was not at all times obvious. It was hard to see what he meant for instance by speaking of his provincial side—which was exactly the side she would have taken him most to lack. Was it a harmless paradox, intended to puzzle her? or was it the last refinement of high culture?
—Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady, 1881
Mr. Guppy propounds for Mr. Smallweed's consideration the paradox that the more you drink the thirstier you are and reclines his head upon the window-sill in a state of hopeless languor.
—Charles Dickens, Bleak House, 1852-53
It is a paradox that computers need maintenance so often, since they are meant to save people time.
As an actor, he's a paradox—he loves being in the public eye but also deeply values and protects his privacy.
a novel full of paradox
Recent Examples on the Web
Consumers are caught in a paradox; the warnings are everywhere, yet the alternatives are nowhere.
—Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
The paradox with travel is that the most interesting or worthy things to do are often the most popular, leading to overcrowding.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 23 Oct. 2025
Culturally, ghosting is a paradox.
—Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025
Del Toro’s explanation for this paradox revealed to Isaac that Victor Frankenstein operates without doubt or hesitation—until his catastrophic moment of reckoning.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paradox
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Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
The paradox with travel is that the most interesting or worthy things to do are often the most popular, leading to overcrowding.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 23 Oct. 2025
Culturally, ghosting is a paradox.
—Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025
Del Toro’s explanation for this paradox revealed to Isaac that Victor Frankenstein operates without doubt or hesitation—until his catastrophic moment of reckoning.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paradox
Cite this Entry
“Paradox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paradox. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
paradox
noun
par·a·dox
ˈpar-ə-ˌdäks
1
a
: a statement that seems to go against common sense but may still be true
b
: a false statement that at first seems true
2
: a person or thing having qualities that seem to be opposites
paradoxical
adjective
ˌpar-ə-ˈdäk-si-kəl
paradoxically
adverb
-k(ə-)lē
Medical Definition
paradox
noun
par·a·dox
ˈpar-ə-ˌdäks
: an instance of a paradoxical phenomenon or reaction
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