Home North American English contradiction

Definition of contradiction in English:

contradiction

noun

1A combination of statements, ideas, or features of a situation that are opposed to one another.
‘the proposed new system suffers from a set of internal contradictions’
- ‘Most likely, he saw and probably still sees no contradiction between the two objectives.’
- ‘As you can see there is a clear contradiction in these two statements.’
- ‘The mass of contradictions in statements means someone is lying, he said.’
- ‘Neither side has a monopoly on either good ideas or glaring contradictions.’
- ‘It was full of misleading statements and contradictions.’
- ‘Political competition within the nobility interacted with the social and economic contradictions to produce violent internal conflict.’
- ‘Prosecutors said, however, they found some contradictions in their statements.’
- ‘Actually, there is no contradiction between those positions.’
- ‘The Hegelian dialectic attempts to grasp the totality of the system and argues that change occurs as a result of contradictions internal to that system.’
- ‘It is possible that this movement's internal contradictions will cause an early collapse.’
- ‘It is beset by contradictions in the statements of Ministers.’
- ‘Because even the idea of a contradiction between science and faith was predicated on a concept of faith as a kind of profane knowledge.’
- ‘And the judge very obviously was struggling with the clear contradiction between those two ideas today.’
- ‘If its existence is rejected, we reject the thing itself with all its predicates; and no question of contradiction can then arise.’
- ‘And the basic contradiction is the contradiction between the doing and the denial of doing, life and death.’
- ‘Such were the tensions and internal contradictions of his rather unhappy life that you feel relief for the man when he finally dies.’
- ‘Paradoxically, the exhibition as a whole is enriched by its internal contradictions.’
- ‘But there is a great contradiction between these chauvinistic ideas and what is happening in the village.’
- ‘Such a coalition will melt down because of its own internal contradictions.’
- ‘Nevertheless, these internal contradictions never came to surface until 1989.’
1. 1.1 A person, thing, or situation in which inconsistent elements are present.
  ‘the paradox of using force to overcome force is a real contradiction’
  ‘And there does seem to be a pretty flat contradiction between those two points.’
  ‘If we fail, they will say that there is a real contradiction between the western world and the Islamic world.’
  ‘At the heart of the present political conflict is an intractable contradiction.’
  ‘How can one account for such a marked contradiction between the story presented by the newspaper and the version written by Miller?’
  ‘This ‘state of necessity’ emerges from a contradiction, a moral dilemma.’
  ‘If this idea seems like a contradiction then it serves only to highlight our difficulty; it does not make the dilemma any less relevant.’
  ‘If anyone had any doubts about the degree of contradiction on the Opposition's side of the House, let me read these remarks.’
  ‘In its broadest context, the primary contradiction in this new century is the dilemma between globalization and state sovereignty.’
  ‘For the advancement of human freedom, this contradiction presents both an opportunity and a threat.’
  ‘In the case of Henry Moore, this presents an immediate contradiction.’
  ‘There is a contradiction here, both within his statements and with the biblical text.’
  ‘There is no contradiction here; positions and choices are not the same thing.’
  ‘Apart from being a contradiction, it is an idea for which there is no convincing evidence.’
  ‘The conspiracy theorists' response to that apparent contradiction is that it's all a part of the conspiracy.’
  ‘He actively engages with the Anglican theological position on the sacraments in order to resolve this contradiction.’
  ‘The new antithesis forms out of elements of the original contradiction that didn't make it into the synthesis.’
  ‘Of course, it may be foolish to assume that the two references to peace present an irreconcilable contradiction.’
  ‘His complex character is presented as a contradiction, as he despises cheats but finds many ways throughout the film to prove that he is one.’
  ‘The current situation reveals a fundamental contradiction in Orthodox-Catholic politics.’
  ‘So there is absolutely no contradiction in the position I have adopted in this Chamber, whatsoever.’
2. 1.2 The statement of a position opposite to one already made.
  ‘the second sentence appears to be in flat contradiction of the first’
  ‘the experiment provides a contradiction of the hypothesis’
  ‘For one state to push its own foreign policy in contradiction, and even defiance, of the federal government is a new phenomenon.’
  ‘We'll arrive at the rather obvious contradiction in this position in one moment.’
  ‘It's kind of sacrilegious, a contradiction of a contract with your audience.’
  ‘In fact, the contradiction with the present study is only in terms of conclusions and not in terms of results.’
  ‘All this was in direct contradiction of the intelligence reports he had received, but also - remember - in good faith.’
  ‘As an observer, I can testify that the comments made by these powerful and successful people were in flat contradiction to the caricature.’
  ‘In practice, preserving the natural world is in contradiction to what is understood as progress.’
  ‘Having been personally responsible for the delivery of many of these I can make this statement without fear of contradiction.’
  ‘This was in direct contradiction with the established religion.’
  ‘The problem with endeavor is that it appears to be in contradiction with the statement of God.’
  ‘The following scientists dispute the first claim and stand as living testimony in contradiction to the second.’
  ‘This of course is in direct contradiction of the US Constitution.’
  ‘At first sight, the emergence of the EU as a regional grouping seems to be in contradiction with the direction and thrust of globalization.’
  ‘That statement is a direct contradiction of the two most important conclusions of the report, which the Minister says he accepts.’
  ‘They've already argued that these two statements are in bold contradiction.’
  ‘At the time, I did not question him on his contradiction of his earlier pronouncement.’
  ‘A concept must be framed in such a way that it can be subjected to criticism and possible contradiction.’
  ‘The result was in direct contradiction of the editing process ordered by the trial judge.’
  ‘Thus, jealousy is in direct contradiction with God's will.’
  ‘Well, that is in direct contradiction to the aims and objectives of this bill.’
  denial, refutation, rebuttal, countering, counterstatement, opposite
  View synonyms

Phrases

contradiction in terms

A statement or group of words associating objects or ideas that are incompatible.
‘“true fiction” is a contradiction in terms’
- ‘The idea of a real Englishman is almost a contradiction in terms, like talking about a real theme park or a real golf club.’
- ‘Some people might think of judgment and forgiveness as incompatible, or as a contradiction in terms.’
- ‘Having a progressive movement without young people is practically a contradiction in terms - and is doomed to failure.’
- ‘In fact, a statement of their dimensions is an apparent contradiction in terms.’
- ‘Since we do not know how to stand outside the universe - the very idea is almost a contradiction in terms - the only evidence we can use comes from within it.’
- ‘I have never witnessed such a contradiction in terms.’
- ‘To others, it can only be a contradiction in terms.’
- ‘Am I the only one who sees the contradiction in terms here?’
- ‘Indeed, many people regard the very idea of group-differentiated citizenship as a contradiction in terms.’
- ‘The very idea of empowerment through cultural heritage is a contradiction in terms.’
conflict, clash, disagreement, opposition, inconsistency, lack of congruence, incongruity, incongruousness, mismatch, variance
View synonyms