contradict

verb

con·tra·dict | \ˌkän-trə-ˈdikt

contradicted; contradicting; contradicts

Definition of contradict

1 : to assert the contrary of : take issue with contradict a rumor She contradicted her brother's account of what happened.

2 : to imply the opposite or a denial of Your actions contradict your words. The evidence contradicts his testimony.

Other Words from contradict Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about contradict

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Other Words from contradict

contradictable \ ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-tə-bəl

\ adjective

contradictor \ ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-tər

\ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for contradict

deny, gainsay, contradict, contravene mean to refuse to accept as true or valid. deny implies a firm refusal to accept as true, to grant or concede, or to acknowledge the existence or claims of. denied the charges gainsay implies disputing the truth of what another has said. no one can gainsay her claims contradict implies an open or flat denial. her account contradicts his contravene implies not so much an intentional opposition as some inherent incompatibility. laws that contravene tradition

Examples of contradict in a Sentence

He contradicted the charges of his critics. My sister doesn't like being contradicted. The mayor's actions in office contradicted the promises he made during the campaign.

Recent Examples on the Web

Ask them about their backgrounds, friends and the social issues on their minds. Don’t interrupt or contradict. — Elizabeth Bernstein, WSJ, "Why We Stereotype Strangers," 29 Oct. 2018 She's appeared on more than a few occasions to contradict her husband in a public forum. — Celeste Katz, Glamour, "First Lady Melania Trump Goes Solo in Africa. But What's She Actually up To?," 2 Oct. 2018 Later Tuesday, the aid group said Malta had sent a message refusing entry to its territorial waters, contradicting the Italian and French leaders and further confusing the itinerary of the ship and its passengers. — Colleen Barry, The Seattle Times, "Italy, others to take migrants but fate of NGO ship unclear," 26 June 2018 Birchall's statements on what the stem cells actually do contradict each other, Murray and Lévy add. — Matt Warren, Science | AAAS, "Two controversial stem cell trials could harm patients, critics say," 29 Mar. 2018 Trump's tweet contradicted statements by his press secretary, who repeatedly told reporters Tuesday that the president had more important concerns than the cancellation of a TV sitcom. — Eli Stokols, latimes.com, "Republicans distance themselves from Trump’s ‘Spygate’ conspiracy theory," 30 May 2018 This contradicts the statements from others that this had nothing to do with the campaign. — Chris Cillizza, CNN, "There's a 'very high' likelihood that laws were broken in the Stormy Daniels fiasco," 3 May 2018 His ostensibly poor state of health contradicts previous statements from his next-door neighbor, who said DeAngelo seemed physically fit and spoke in a loud voice. — Bradford Betz, Fox News, "'Golden State Killer' suspect makes first court appearance in Sacramento," 28 Apr. 2018 But that claim contradicted the officer’s own account, which noted T.D. had no valid driver’s license and was driving a BMW with temporary tags. — Charles Rabin, Jay Weaver And David Ovalle, miamiherald, "The chief wanted perfect stats, so cops were told to pin crimes on blacks, probe found," 12 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'contradict.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near contradict

contradictio in adjecto

Statistics for contradict

Last Updated

13 Nov 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for contradict

The first known use of contradict was in 1582

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More Definitions for contradict

contradict

verb

English Language Learners Definition of contradict

: to say the opposite of (something that someone else has said) : to deny the truth of (something)

: to deny or disagree with what is being said by (someone)

: to not agree with (something) in a way that shows or suggests that it is false, wrong, etc.

See the full definition for contradict in the English Language Learners Dictionary

contradict

verb

con·tra·dict | \ˌkän-trə-ˈdikt

contradicted; contradicting

Kids Definition of contradict

1 : to deny the truth of a statement : say the opposite of what someone else has said “Jack's afraid of something,” Mary said. “Jack's not afraid of anything, ever!” Laura contradicted.— Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House on the Prairie

2 : to be opposed to Your actions contradict your words.