Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective contradictory differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of contradictory are antithetical, contrary, and opposite. While all these words mean "being so far apart as to be or seem irreconcilable," 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

When can antithetical be used instead of contradictory?

The synonyms antithetical and contradictory are sometimes interchangeable, but antithetical stresses clear and unequivocal diametrical opposition.

a law that is antithetical to the very idea of democracy

When is it sensible to use contrary instead of contradictory?

While the synonyms contrary and contradictory are close in meaning, contrary implies extreme divergence or diametrical opposition.

contrary assessments of the war situation

Where would opposite be a reasonable alternative to contradictory?

The meanings of opposite and contradictory largely overlap; however, opposite applies to things in sharp contrast or in conflict.

opposite views on foreign aid

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contradictory These errant policies include the 340B drug discount program, which now has the contradictory impact of raising overall drug prices. Wayne Winegarden, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025 Where exactly is the United States’ economy amid these contradictory signals? Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 2 May 2025 Sitting in front of a cinderblock wall and drinking what looked like an iced coffee, Knight gave rambling, often contradictory testimony about his state of mind the day Carter died. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2025 But the research on what impact this has is largely inconclusive and at times contradictory. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for contradictory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contradictory
Adjective
  • As is frequently the case in America these days, those looking for ways to blame an act of terror on distinctly right-wing or leftist extremism will find that the truth lies in a baffling and murky middle where contrary strains of radicalism converge.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2025
  • This is a contrary indicator as these levels are often seen at important market bottoms.
    Tom Aspray, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
Adjective
  • Devil May Cry Perhaps the show most tonally opposite to The Last of Us on this list, Netflix’s Devil May Cry is a riotous, colorful blast of punk energy.
    Barry Levitt, Time, 26 May 2025
  • At the opposite spectrum of the sombre tone and palette of Ritual of the Ancestors and Rites of Passage are a pair of sensual canvases titled Adoration of the Earth which depict a naked woman languishing in a field of dancing sunflowers.
    Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • Comparable sales for the quarter decreased 1.7% blamed on unfavorable weather earlier in the year, while pro and online sales grew.
    Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 21 May 2025
  • Her biggest unfavorable numbers from those surveyed came from voters in parts of Northern California, at 60%, and Orange County, with 57%.
    Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2025
Adjective
  • This state of affairs, Brooks thinks, is antithetical to music’s purpose.
    Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 5 May 2025
  • Such practices are antithetical to the American tradition of an independent, adversarial press.
    Jim Martin, Denver Post, 1 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Contradictory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contradictory. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on contradictory

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