contradictory

1 of 2

adjective

con·​tra·​dic·​to·​ry ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-t(ə-)rē 

: involving, causing, or constituting a contradiction

contradictory statements

The witnesses gave contradictory accounts of the accident.

contradictorily

ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-t(ə-)rə-lē 

adverb

contradictoriness

ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-t(ə-)rē-nəs 

noun

contradictory

2 of 2

noun

con·​tra·​dic·​to·​ry

plural contradictories

: a proposition (see proposition entry 1 sense 2a) so related to another that if either of the two is true the other is false and if either is false the other must be true

Synonyms

Adjective

• contrary
• opposite
• unfavorable
• antithetical

Choose the Right Synonym for contradictory

opposite, contradictory, contrary, antithetical mean being so far apart as to be or seem irreconcilable.

opposite applies to things in sharp contrast or in conflict.

opposite views on foreign aid

contradictory applies to two things that completely negate each other so that if one is true or valid the other must be untrue or invalid.

made contradictory predictions about whether the market would rise or fall

contrary implies extreme divergence or diametrical opposition.

contrary assessments of the war situation

antithetical stresses clear and unequivocal diametrical opposition.

a law that is antithetical to the very idea of democracy

Examples of contradictory in a Sentence

Adjective

contradictory predictions regarding stock prices that were of no help to investors at all

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Such academic collaborations were not contradictory to the North Korean credo of Juche (self-reliance) but rather a means of furthering the resilience capacity of the country’s ecological system which inherently transcends borders. —Saleem H. Ali, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025

The authors noted that both these decreases initially seemed contradictory, as school shootings have increased in the past 25 years. —Lucia I Suarez Sang, CBS News, 7 July 2025

Noun

For six months, experts have given the American public contradictory and weaponized election-year directives on masks, social distancing, lockdowns, school closures, and workplace policies. —Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, 24 Sep. 2020

For a school board that has criticized Foose for a lack of transparency, the secret talks over separation and lining up an interim appear contradictory. —Howard County Times, 3 May 2017

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French contraditoire, contradictoire, borrowed from Late Latin contrādictōrius, from Latin contrādic-, variant stem of contrādīcere "to speak against, object to" + -tōrius, deverbal adjective suffix originally forming derivatives from agent nouns ending in -tōr-, -tor — more at contradict

Noun

earlier, "contradictory proposition, inconsistency," going back to Middle English contradictorie, borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French contradictoire, borrowed from Late Latin contrādictōria, noun derivative from feminine of contrādictōrius contradictory entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1656, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing contradictory

• self-contradictory

Rhymes for contradictory

• valedictory
• victory

Kids Definition

contradictory

adjective

con·​tra·​dic·​to·​ry

ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-t(ə-)rē

: involving, causing, or being a contradiction

contradictory statements

contradictoriness

-t(ə-)rē-nəs

noun