# contradicted

/ˌkɑntɹəˈdɪktəd/ (US) · /kˌɒntɹədˈɪktɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/contradicted
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to say the opposite

verb · CEFR B2

to say that a statement is not true or that someone is wrong.

For teachers: to assert the opposite of a statement made by another person. Transitive, requiring a direct object.

- He contradicted his boss during the meeting, claiming the sales figures were actually much lower.
- The witness repeatedly contradicted her own testimony under cross-examination, leading the jury to doubt her credibility entirely.

### 2. to be inconsistent with

verb · CEFR B2

when two facts or pieces of evidence are so different that they cannot both be right.

For teachers: to be logically inconsistent with something else so that both cannot be true simultaneously.

- The new evidence contradicted the police's original theory about how the fire started.
- The experimental results flatly contradicted the established laws of thermodynamics, prompting a complete review of the laboratory equipment.

### 3. disputed or challenged

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

describes an idea or statement that people have said is wrong.

For teachers: denoting a claim or statement that has been formally disputed or shown to be inconsistent. Often functions as a past-participle adjective.

- The contradicted report was removed from the website until the facts could be checked.
- The researcher struggled to defend his contradicted hypothesis in front of the skeptical panel of experts.

## Examples

- The witness contradicted the police report during the trial.
- The new evidence directly contradicted the suspect's original alibi, making it impossible for the jury to believe his story.
- While the CEO's public statements emphasized environmental sustainability, the company's internal investment strategy often contradicted these claims by prioritizing short-term profits from fossil fuels.

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