paradox
noun
par·a·dox
ˈper-ə-ˌdäks 
ˈpa-rə-
1
: a person or thing having seemingly contradictory qualities or phases
Novelty is a paradox because it is both fear-provoking and attractive.—
Temple Grandin
Temple GrandinAs a person, he was a paradox: a modest, dutiful man who nevertheless liked recognition.—David Wyn Jones
David Wyn JonesIt is a paradox that people are awash in information and yet increasingly … ill-informed.—The Raleigh (NC) News & Observer
The Raleigh (NC) News & ObserverThe American paradox is that we began with a Constitution that permitted slavery and a Declaration of Independence whose core idea subverted slavery.—E. J. Dionne, Jr.
E. J. Dionne, Jr.2
a
: a statement or sentiment that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true
… believe in paradoxes like losing your life to find it …—Betsy VanDenBerghe
Betsy VanDenBerghe
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
The classic paradox presents us with two contradictory interpretations, each quite correct in its own context.—Stephen Jay Gould
Stephen Jay Gould3
archaic
: a tenet contrary to received opinion
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 used that word as the basis for a noun paradoxum, which English speakers borrowed during the 1500s to create paradox.
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
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
And the most powerful constraints are often paradoxes that can’t be resolved — only engaged.
—Big Think, 27 Oct. 2025
In a hotel room, a melancholy sabra in his forties muses over the paradoxes of the historical destiny of the Jews.
—Susan Sontag, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
The film lays bare the tensions and paradoxes of nuclear deterrence, said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, which advocates for nuclear arms control.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
Consumers are caught in a paradox; the warnings are everywhere, yet the alternatives are nowhere.
—Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paradox
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Big Think, 27 Oct. 2025
In a hotel room, a melancholy sabra in his forties muses over the paradoxes of the historical destiny of the Jews.
—Susan Sontag, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
The film lays bare the tensions and paradoxes of nuclear deterrence, said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, which advocates for nuclear arms control.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
Consumers are caught in a paradox; the warnings are everywhere, yet the alternatives are nowhere.
—Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paradox
Cite this Entry
“Paradox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paradox. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
paradox
noun
par·a·dox
ˈpar-ə-ˌdäks
1
a
: a statement that seems to go against common sense but may still be true
b
: a false statement that at first seems true
2
: a person or thing having qualities that seem to be opposites
paradoxical
adjective
ˌpar-ə-ˈdäk-si-kəl
paradoxically
adverb
-k(ə-)lē
Medical Definition
paradox
noun
par·a·dox
ˈpar-ə-ˌdäks
: an instance of a paradoxical phenomenon or reaction
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