What does contradictious mean?
Contradictious is a rare adjective describing someone who is inclined to contradict — a person whose habit it is to deny, dispute, or oppose whatever others assert. Unlike "contradictory", which applies chiefly to statements or ideas that conflict with each other, "contradictious" characterizes a temperament: the colleague who argues on principle against every proposal, or the debater who disputes points merely to be contrary. The word derives from Latin roots via "contradict" and belongs to the same family as "contentious" and "argumentative", though it is markedly less common today and reads as somewhat literary or old-fashioned. Its connotation is mildly pejorative, suggesting perverse or reflexive opposition rather than honest disagreement. For writers seeking a precise, slightly archaic flourish, it offers a pointed way to describe habitual contrariness that more familiar synonyms only approximate.
adjectiveInclined to contradict; disposed to deny or oppose what others say.
- Of a person or their manner: inclined to contradict or dispute what others assert; perversely argumentative.
- Tending to involve contradiction; self-contradictory (rare).
"His contradictious streak made every meeting an argument waiting to happen."
"She was in one of her contradictious moods, disputing every point I raised simply because I had raised it."
"The witness grew increasingly contradictious under cross-examination, denying even facts he had earlier affirmed."
Before 'argumentative' became the go-to insult, English speakers had a sharper word for the person who argues just for the sake of arguing: contradictious.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of contradictious
Contradictious comes from the verb "contradict", which entered English in the sixteenth century from Latin contra- ('against') plus dicere ('to say, speak'). The adjective was formed with the Latinate suffix -ious, on the model of words like "contentious" and "litigious", appearing in English by the early seventeenth century. It shares its ultimate root, the Latin verb dicere, with such words as "predict", "indicate", and "verdict".
Related word forms
How contradictious is actually used
Rare and somewhat literary or dated; it carries a mildly pejorative connotation, implying contrariness rather than reasoned disagreement. In modern usage "contrary", "argumentative", or "contradictory" are far more common choices.
Easily confused with contradictious
"Contradictory" describes statements or things that mutually conflict, while "contradictious" describes a person's disposition to contradict others.