paradox

noun

par·a·dox | \ ˈper-ə-ˌdäks

, ˈpa-rə-\

Definition of paradox

1 : a tenet contrary to received opinion

2a : 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

Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about paradox

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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 on the Web

But the paradox of how this evolution is playing out is that technology developed to give us driverless vehicles from the likes of Tesla Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo could actually delay their adoption. — Christopher Mims, WSJ, "Self-Driving Cars Have a Problem: Safer Human-Driven Ones," 15 June 2019 The paradox here is finding comfort in belittling myself, which, magically, works no matter the height. — Soraya Roberts, Longreads, "The View From 5-Foot-3 (and a Half)," 15 June 2019 The paradox is that a good impulse—the desire to see a famous place—can lead to a bad result: a famous place becomes largely emptied of everyone except the people who come to see it. — Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, "Europe and America Seventy-Five Years After D Day," 6 June 2019 But the paradox was that even as these downtowns became a magnet for new residents, shopping revenue, and foot traffic, the malls themselves did not fare as well. — Alissa Walker, Curbed, "Will this PoMo wonderland in San Diego be saved?," 5 June 2019 In what seemed like paradox, some of Bouteflika’s top supporters welcomed the general’s proposal, while opposition parties railed against it. — Aomar Ouali, The Seattle Times, "Algerian army chief calls for president to be declared unfit," 26 Mar. 2019 Most Read Business Stories The paradox is that strengthening ACA or going further is a potentially winning issue for Democrats in 2020, but the lobbying strength of the health-care industry will try to prevent reform. — Jon Talton, The Seattle Times, "Trump’s gambit to kill Obamacare risks lives and opportunity," 29 Mar. 2019 The paradox of Donald Trump’s Presidency after two years is that his main successes are the result of traditional Republican policies. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Trump’s Re-Election Challenge," 4 Feb. 2019 John Yossarian, a young pilot in World War II who struggles with the violence of war and the Catch-22 paradox that prevents him from leaving his duty. — Maggie Maloney, Town & Country, "The First Trailer for George Clooney's New Series Catch-22 Is Finally Here," 13 Feb. 2019

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.