paradoxical

adjective

par·a·dox·i·cal | \ ˌper-ə-ˈdäk-si-kəl

, ˌpa-rə-\

Definition of paradoxical

1a : of the nature of a paradox the paradoxical theory that global warming will lead to the next Ice Age

b : inclined to paradoxes

2 : not being the normal or usual kind a paradoxical pulse paradoxical drug reactions

Other Words from paradoxical More Example Sentences Learn More about paradoxical

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Other Words from paradoxical

paradoxicality \ ˌper-ə-ˌdäk-si-ˈka-lə-tē

, ˌpa-rə- \ noun

paradoxically \ ˌper-ə-ˈdäk-si-k(ə-)lē

, ˌpa-rə- \ adverb

paradoxicalness \ ˌper-ə-ˈdäk-si-kəl-nəs

, ˌpa-rə- \ noun

Examples of paradoxical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This illustrates a paradoxical feature of the political divide: a combination of intellectual flux and partisan rigidity. — The Economist, "Elizabeth Warren, saviour of capitalism," 21 June 2019 Get our daily newsletter What happened in Paris is paradoxical. — The Economist, "Taking sides in the Orthodox Church’s battles over Russia and Ukraine," 9 Sep. 2019 Modernity made the individual sacred, producing a paradoxical effect that still hangs over us. — Astra Taylor, The New Republic, "One for All," 26 Aug. 2019 In this sometimes paradoxical view of privilege, Americans respect professors but would not wish to turn the country over to them. — Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, "The American Middle Class," 22 Aug. 2019 And paradoxical that the ministry that authorized the research would actually expose those doing the research to danger. — Alison Abbott, Science | AAAS, "Italian blindness researchers planning monkey studies threatened after health ministry releases names," 21 Aug. 2019 That paradoxical name comes with an instructive history. — Melissa Gira Grant, The New Republic, "No Law Can Ban White Supremacy From the Internet," 9 Aug. 2019 Yet there’s something curious, even paradoxical, about Kiarostami’s career, and the retrospective’s program offers a rare opportunity to probe its mysteries. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, "The Paradox at the Heart of Abbas Kiarostami’s Early Films," 26 July 2019 The idea behind the blood test is somewhat paradoxical: If blood amyloid levels are very low, the patient may well have plaques in the brain. — New York Times, "A Blood Test for Alzheimer’s? It’s Coming, Scientists Report," 1 Aug. 2019

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