contradiction in terms
noun phrase
: a phrase that contains words which have very different or opposite meanings
I think "working vacation" is a contradiction in terms.
Examples of contradiction in terms in a Sentence
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This is, obviously, a contradiction in terms—Nazism was the antithesis of reason.
—
Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 20 July 2023
For most of history, that is, universal literacy was a contradiction in terms.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 21 June 2023
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Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 20 July 2023
For most of history, that is, universal literacy was a contradiction in terms.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 21 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Contradiction in terms.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contradiction%20in%20terms. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
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