What does contradiction mean?
A contradiction is a clash between two or more statements, beliefs, or facts such that they cannot all be true at the same time. If one person says it rained yesterday and another insists the day was dry, their accounts stand in contradiction. The word also describes the act of contradicting someone — flatly denying what they have just said — as well as a person whose character seems built on opposing traits, as in 'an introvert with a taste for the stage.' In formal logic and mathematics, contradiction carries a precise meaning: a proposition that is necessarily false, since it asserts both something and its negation. Common phrases include 'a contradiction in terms,' describing something self-refuting by definition, and 'internal contradiction,' pointing to inconsistencies within a single argument or text. Derived from Latin roots meaning 'to speak against,' the word is central to reasoning, debate, and honest self-examination, marking the points where our claims about the world fail to cohere.
nounA statement or situation in which two or more things assert opposite or incompatible ideas, such that both cannot be true at the same time; also, the act of denying or asserting the opposite of what someone else has said.
- A combination of statements, beliefs, or facts that are incompatible because they cannot all be true at once.
- The act of contradicting someone — denying or asserting the opposite of what they have said.
- A person or thing containing or embodying conflicting qualities (e.g., 'he is a contradiction — shy yet flamboyant').
"Her account of the evening was full of contradiction — she claimed to have been at home all night, yet mentioned a restaurant bill."
"There is a fundamental contradiction between promising transparency and refusing to release the documents."
"'That's a contradiction in terms,' she said — 'you can't have an honest politician who never changes his mind.'"
Standard plural form, used when discussing multiple instances of incompatible statements or conflicting qualities.
"His memoir is riddled with contradictions about where he was that summer."
The word 'contradiction' literally means 'speaking against' — from Latin contra (against) + dicere (to say) — so every argument you've ever had has been an act of etymological precision.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of contradiction
Contradiction comes from Latin 'contradictio', formed from 'contra' (against) and 'dicere' (to say), literally meaning 'speaking against'. It entered English via Old French in the late Middle Ages, around the 14th century, initially referring to verbal opposition or denial. Its use in logic and philosophy broadened over time to encompass any incompatibility between propositions. Cognates sharing the same Latin root 'dicere' include dictate, predict, verdict, and indicate.
Related word forms
How contradiction is actually used
Formal to neutral register, common in academic writing, logic, philosophy, and everyday argument. In logic and mathematics, a contradiction is a technical term for a statement that is necessarily false. The phrase 'a contradiction in terms' is a fixed expression denoting something self-refuting by definition.
Easily confused with contradiction
Contradiction refers to opposing statements or ideas, while contravention refers to the act of violating a law, rule, or treaty.