contradict

1 of 2

verb

con·​tra·​dict ˌkän-trə-ˈdikt 

contradicted; contradicting; contradicts

transitive verb

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.

contradictable

ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-tə-bəl 

adjective

contradictor

ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-tər 

noun

contradicter

2 of 2

noun

con·​tra·​dict·​er

variants or contradictor

ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-tər 

plural -s

: one who contradicts

Synonyms of contradict

Verb

• refute
• disagree (with)

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

Verb

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

Verb

In 2007, Tennessee’s extremely low Nation's Report Card scores in reading and math, which contradicted our own state assessment results, served as a wake-up call. — Lamar Alexander, Time, 23 Oct. 2026

Reyes denied the government’s motion to recuse, asserting the facts contradict the administration’s criticism. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 22 Oct. 2026

An agent also needs to know where information came from, when it was updated and whether another source contradicts it. — Shekhar Iyer, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026

The contradicting geological and orbital observations for Phobos and Deimos collected to date have prevented scientists from definitively establishing one hypothesis over the other. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

borrowed from Latin contrādictus, past participle of contrādīcere, contrā dīcere "to speak against, object to, oppose, assert the contrary," from contrā contra- + dīcere "to talk, speak, say" — more at diction

First Known Use

Verb

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing contradict

• contradict oneself

Rhymes for contradict

• derelict
• interdict
• addict
• afflict
• constrict
• delict
• depict
• evict
• handpicked
• inflict
• predict
• relict

Kids Definition

contradict

verb

con·​tra·​dict ˌkän-trə-ˈdikt 

1

: to say the opposite of what someone else has said : deny the truth of

2

: to be opposed or contrary to : go against

your actions contradict your words

contradictor

-ˈdik-tər 

noun