What does contradict mean?
To contradict is to declare that something someone has said is not true, or — when applied to facts, statements, or pieces of evidence — to be so at odds with something else that both cannot hold at once. A witness may contradict an earlier testimony, a new study may contradict long-held assumptions, and two accounts of the same event may simply contradict each other. The word carries a note of opposition: openly contradicting another person can seem rude or combative, which is why speakers often soften it in conversation, even though the act itself is central to debate, journalism, and scientific scrutiny. Derived forms such as 'contradiction' (the act or instance of contradicting) and 'contradictory' (mutually opposed) extend its reach into logic and everyday speech alike. Rooted in Latin terms meaning 'to speak against,' contradict remains one of the most direct ways English has for saying that two things cannot both be right — a small word with considerable argumentative force.
verbTo assert the opposite of a statement made by someone, thereby denying its truth; or to be in conflict with something, such that the two cannot both be true.
- To assert the contrary of what someone has said; to deny the truth of a statement.
- (Of facts or evidence) To be inconsistent with or in conflict with something else, such that both cannot be true.
"The witness's testimony directly contradicted her earlier statement to the police."
"The minister flatly contradicted rumours of an impending resignation."
"The two reports contradict each other on almost every point."
Contradict comes straight from Latin words meaning 'to speak against' — so every time you say 'no, that's wrong,' you're literally speaking against someone, just as ancient Romans did.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of contradict
Contradict derives from Latin 'contradictus', the past participle of 'contradicere', formed from 'contra' ('against') and 'dicere' ('to say or speak'). It entered English in the early modern period, around the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century, initially carrying a strong sense of speaking against or opposing someone's words. Its Latin roots link it to a wide family of English words built on 'dicere', including dictate, predict, and indicate, all of which involve some form of 'saying'.
Related word forms
How contradict is actually used
Contradicting someone is often perceived as blunt or confrontational in conversation; softer phrasings are frequently preferred in polite discourse. The verb takes no indirect object — one contradicts a person, statement, or claim directly. It is standard in both formal and informal register.
Easily confused with contradict
To contrast is simply to compare and show differences, while to contradict is to deny a statement's truth or be logically inconsistent with it.