contradictory
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.describes statements, ideas, or pieces of evidence that say the opposite of each other.
adj.describes two or more statements or ideas that are mutually exclusive, such that if one is true, the other must be false.
Simple“The two witnesses gave contradictory accounts of the accident, so the police were confused.”
In context“The study produced contradictory results, with one data set suggesting a positive correlation while the other indicated a significant decline.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
adj.describes a person who often disagrees with others or says the opposite just to be difficult.
adj.describes a disposition or behaviour characterised by a tendency to oppose or argue against others.
Simple“He was in a contradictory mood and disagreed with every suggestion I made.”
In context“Her contradictory nature often stalled committee progress, as she felt compelled to challenge even the most minor procedural consensus.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
n.one of two ideas or statements that cannot both be true at the same time.
n.either of a pair of propositions that are so related that one must be true and the other false.
Simple“In logic, 'all birds fly' and 'some birds do not fly' are contradictories.”
In context“The legal team struggled to reconcile the contradictories within the defendant's testimony before the trial commenced.”
Usage apparently contradictory
“They may have problems remembering what happened, or their memories may be jumbled or even contradictory.”
“Paleoanthropologist Daniel Lieberman talks about diets he's tested, and contradictory information about what's healthy to eat and what's not.”
Borrowed from Late Latin contradictorius, from Latin contradico. Equivalent to contradict + -ory.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.