contradiction
A situation where two ideas, facts, or statements cannot both be true at the same time.
A situation in which statements, facts, beliefs, or actions are opposed to each other so that they cannot all be true or fit together logically.
A person or thing that has opposite qualities that do not match, like being very kind and very cruel at the same time.
A person or thing that shows opposite or very different qualities that do not seem to fit together.
The act of saying that what another person said is not true.
The act of saying that a statement someone else has made is not true, or of speaking or acting in direct opposition.
In logic or math, a result or idea that cannot be true because it says two opposite things at the same time.
In logic and mathematics, a situation or statement that is impossible to be true because it asserts both a proposition and its negation, or combines conditions that cannot all be satisfied.
- Base: contradiction
- Plural: contradiction, contradictions
a contradiction in terms
1expression whose words oppose each other
a phrase where the words should not go together because their meanings are opposite or do not fit
- For many people, ‘honest politician’ sounds like a contradiction in terms.
- Calling that tiny room a ‘ballroom’ is almost a contradiction in terms.
- Some argue that ‘clean war’ is a contradiction in terms.
a walking contradiction
1person with clashing qualities
a person who has very different or opposite qualities that do not seem to fit together
- She’s a walking contradiction: super organized at work but totally chaotic at home.
- Tom is a walking contradiction, proud of his independence but always asking for help.
- As a calm but thrill‑seeking pilot, he felt like a walking contradiction.
brooks no contradiction
1does not allow disagreement
used to describe someone who will not allow any disagreement or challenge to what they say
- The director brooks no contradiction when it comes to safety rules.
- Known as a strict leader, she brooks no contradiction from her team.
in contradiction to
1in clear opposition to something
used to say that something is the opposite of, or does not agree with, something else that was said or done
- His recent comments are in contradiction to the company’s official policy.
- The court’s decision stands in contradiction to earlier rulings on the same issue.
- These results are in direct contradiction to what we found last year.
no contradiction between
1two things are not incompatible
used to say that two ideas or facts can exist together and do not clash
- There is no contradiction between loving your job and wanting more vacation time.
- She insists there is no contradiction between tradition and innovation in her work.
proof by contradiction
1logical method assuming the opposite
a way to prove something in math or logic by first saying it is false, then showing that this idea leads to an impossible result
- We can show that there are infinitely many prime numbers using a proof by contradiction.
- The teacher demonstrated the theorem with a simple proof by contradiction.
without fear of contradiction
1say something with full confidence
used before a statement to say that you are very sure it is true and think no one can seriously disagree
- I can say, without fear of contradiction, that she is the most experienced person here.
- He stated, without fear of contradiction, that the project would finish on time.