contradiction
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a situation where two ideas or facts are opposite, so they cannot both be right.
a state of logical inconsistency between two or more propositions or elements. Often used to describe a conflict between a person's words and their actions.
Simple“There is a big contradiction between what he says and what he actually does.”
In context“The witness's testimony was filled with contradictions, making it nearly impossible for the jury to determine the sequence of events.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
a statement that contains two ideas that go against each other.
a statement or proposition that contradicts itself, claiming that the same thing is both true and false simultaneously.
Simple“The phrase 'a giant shrimp' is a bit of a contradiction in terms.”
In context“In formal logic, a proof by contradiction assumes the opposite of the desired conclusion to show that it leads to an impossible result.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
the act of saying that what someone else said is wrong.
the act of asserting the opposite of a statement made by another person. Often carries a tone of direct challenge or confrontation.
Simple“She was so confident that she didn't expect any contradiction from her team.”
In context“The professor tolerated no contradiction during his lectures, viewing any dissenting questions as a personal affront to his authority.”
Antonyms
Usage apparent contradiction
“There is a knife-edge balance in McGurn’s work between tongue-in-cheek irreverence and deadly serious critique, which makes her paintings feel full of real-life contradictions and anomalies.”
“It reflects a contradiction in how the law defines a family.”
From Middle English contradiccioun, contradiction, from Old French contradiction, from Latin contrādictiō, from contrādīcō (“speak against”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.