paradox

noun par·a·dox \ ˈper-ə-ˌdäks , ˈpa-rə- \

Updated on: 24 Apr 2018

Definition of paradox

1 : a tenet contrary to received opinion

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 : one (such as a person, situation, or action) having seemingly contradictory qualities or phases

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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

Recent Examples of paradox from the Web

The paradox of the fillers market is this: As the popularity of hyaluronic acid injectables soars, the dosage gets smaller and smaller, as patients request more natural-looking tweaks instead of dramatic changes.

— brennan kilbane, Allure, "Dermatologists Are Now Using Fillers to Simulate Instagram Filters, So I Decided to Try It," 19 Apr. 2018
The superhumanly durable appeal of the Kennedy clan and its attendant tragedies and losses remains a riddle, a paradox and a wellspring of guesswork.

— michael phillips, chicagotribune.com, "'Chappaquiddick' review: Selling a tragedy, the Kennedy way," 5 Apr. 2018
There is a paradox central to the ongoing ascension of autonomous vehicles.

— mark geistfeld, Time, "Why the Next Person Hit by a Driverless Car Might Not Be Able to Sue," 30 Mar. 2018
And yet Seattle is always changing, a paradox that pits old against new, this city’s Hundred Years’ War.

— jayson jenks, The Seattle Times, "Is Seattle losing its soul?," 29 Mar. 2018
Nevertheless, the Netherlands embodies the European paradox of contrasting climate change.

— ryan collins and naureen s. malik, Houston Chronicle, "Pipeline shortage means West Texas gas has no place to go," 31 Mar. 2018
Madrigal: The Zeno’s paradox of the self-driving car problem.

— alexis c. madrigal, The Atlantic, "The Man With the Most Valuable Work Experience in the World," 29 Mar. 2018
The shift recognizes an unfortunate paradox: Some 41% of students enrolled in higher education are 25 or older, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, but colleges often don’t meet older students’ needs.

— lisa ward, WSJ, "Colleges Make It Easier for Older Students," 25 Mar. 2018
Time travel is a classic trope in science fiction, posing questions about fixing the past, paradoxes, or simply spectating in a time long before your own.

— andrew liptak, The Verge, "Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach is a time-travel adventure full to the brim with ideas," 24 Mar. 2018

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

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 picked up the word and used it to create their noun paradoxum, which English speakers borrowed during the 1500s to create paradox.

Origin and Etymology of paradox

Latin paradoxum, from Greek paradoxon, from neuter of paradoxos contrary to expectation, from para- + dokein to think, seem — more at decent

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1540

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

paradox Synonyms

Synonyms

contradiction, dichotomy, incongruity;

Other Logic Terms

a posteriori, connotation, corollary, inference, mutually exclusive, postulate, syllogism

PARADOX Defined for English Language Learners

paradox

noun

Definition of paradox for English Language Learners

: something (such as a situation) that is made up of two opposite things and that seems impossible but is actually true or possible
: someone who does two things that seem to be opposite to each other or who has qualities that are opposite
: a statement that seems to say two opposite things but that may be true