Dictionary

contradictory en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˌkɒntɹəˈdɪkt(ə)ɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌkɑntɹəˈdɪktəɹi/ (General-American, dialectal) of Canada
• (California) audio
• [ˌkɔ̟ntɹəˈdəkt(ə)ɹi] (New-Zealand)
• /ˌkɒntɹəˈdɪkt(ə)ɹi/ (Canada, dialectal) of the US
• /ˌkɒntɹəˈdəkt(ə)ɹi/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˌkɔntɹəˈdɪkt(ə)ɹi/ (Australia)

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin contradictorius, from Latin contradico. Equivalent to contradict + -ory.

Meanings

1. That contradicts something, such as an argument.
   • This wide variety of genuinely contradictory holy sutras generated a serious problem in later Chinese and Japanese Buddhism. In the early period the Chinese and Japanese did not know that there were so many schools of Buddhism which disagreed with one another. Chinese and Japanese Buddhists assumed that every single Buddhist sutra was the actual words of the Buddha himself. As a result, Chinese Buddhists had to come up with some kind of explanation for the contradictory claims and assertions apparently made by the same holy person. The Chinese T’ien-t’ai school decided that the texts were spoken by the Buddha but tailored to different audiences of vastly different capabilities and insight. 2004, Robert Zeuschner, “Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism”, in Asian Thought: Traditions of India, China, Japan & Tibet, volume I, Echo Point Books & Media, LLC, published 2017, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 225:
2. That is itself a contradiction.
   • Our attitudes toward sharks are contradictory. We fear them and yet we seek them out. 1983, Richard Ellis, The Book of Sharks, Knopf, →ISBN, page 149:
3. That is diametrically opposed to something.
   • Schemes […] contradictory to common sense. 1715 January 23 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison, “The Free-holder: No. 7. Wednesday, January 13. [1715.]”, in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq; […], volume IV, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], published 1721, →OCLC:
4. Mutually exclusive.
   • [White House deputy chief of policy Stephen] Miller has offered contradictory versions of Trump administration statements and court rulings. 2025 April 18, Henry Gass, “Amid deportation dispute, Trump and courts square off on who has last word”, in The Christian Science Monitor:
5. Tending to contradict or oppose, contrarious.

Forms

Deriveds

intercontradictory · noncontradictory · uncontradictory · non-contradictory · contradictoriness · contradictorily · contradictory antonym · self-contradictory

Relateds

contradiction · contradictorious · contradict

Synonyms

opposite · incompatible (mutually exclusive)

Translations (76)

fi ristiriitainen (that is itself a contradiction) · cs neslučitelný (mutually exclusive) · cs protikladný (that is diametrically opposed to something) · nl contradictoir (that contradicts something) · it contraddittorio (that contradicts something) · ru противоречи́вый (that is itself a contradiction) · mk проти́вречен (tending to contradict, contrarious) · sv motsatt (that contradicts something) · ast contradictoriu (that contradicts something) · la contrādictōrius (that contradicts something) · ast contradictoriu (that is itself a contradiction) · cs protikladný (that contradicts something) · ca contradictori (that contradicts something) · ru несовмести́мый (mutually exclusive) · hy հակասական (that is itself a contradiction) · cs odporující (tending to contradict, contrarious) · pt contraditório (that is itself a contradiction) · fi ristiriitainen (that contradicts something) · ca contradictori (that is itself a contradiction) · nl contradictoir (that is itself a contradiction) · pl sprzeczny (that contradicts something) · bg противоре́чащ (tending to contradict, contrarious) · nl tegengesteld (that is diametrically opposed to something) · uk супере́чливий (that is itself a contradiction) · nl tegendraads (tending to contradict, contrarious) · be супярэчлі́вы (that is itself a contradiction) · ru противополо́жный (that is diametrically opposed to something) · bg противоречив (that is itself a contradiction) · uk протиле́жний (that is diametrically opposed to something) · gl contraditorio (that is itself a contradiction) · uk супере́чний (that contradicts something) · es contradictorio (that contradicts something) · it contrario (that is itself a contradiction) · de widersprüchlich (that contradicts something) · uk супере́чливий (that is itself a contradiction) · ro contrar (that contradicts something) · nl contradictorisch (that is itself a contradiction) · nl tegenstrijdig (that contradicts something) · mk проти́вречен (that contradicts something) · cmn 自相矛盾 (that is itself a contradiction) · it incoerente (that is itself a contradiction) · el αντιφατικός (that is itself a contradiction) · hu ellentmondásos (that contradicts something) · cs protichůdný (that contradicts something) · ru противоре́чащий (tending to contradict, contrarious) · sv motstridig (that contradicts something) · fr contradictoire (that contradicts something) · ga bréagnaitheach (that contradicts something) · ro contradictoriu (that is itself a contradiction) · da modstridende (that contradicts something) · mi rongorua (that contradicts something) · kk қарама-қайшы (that contradicts something) · cs protiřečící si (that is itself a contradiction) · grc ἀντίλογος (that contradicts something) · ro contradictoriu (that contradicts something) · mk проти́вречен (that is itself a contradiction) · gl contraditorio (that contradicts something) · ru противоречи́вый (tending to contradict, contrarious) · ar تَنَاقُضِيّ (that is itself a contradiction) · fi vastakkainen (that contradicts something) · az zidd (that contradicts something) · el αντιφατικός (that contradicts something) · nl onverenigbaar (mutually exclusive) · no motsigende (that contradicts something) · az ziddiyyətli (that is itself a contradiction) · mk спро́тивен (that is diametrically opposed to something) · ar نَقِيض (that contradicts something) · oc contradictòri (that contradicts something) · bg противоре́чащ (that contradicts something) · os ныхмӕлӕууӕг (that is itself a contradiction) · fr contradictoire (that is itself a contradiction) · pt contraditório (that contradicts something) · pt contrário (that is diametrically opposed to something) · bg противополо́жен (that is diametrically opposed to something) · ru противоре́чащий (that contradicts something) · nl dwars (tending to contradict, contrarious)

contradictory en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌkɒntɹəˈdɪkt(ə)ɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌkɑntɹəˈdɪktəɹi/ (General-American, dialectal) of Canada
• (California) audio
• [ˌkɔ̟ntɹəˈdəkt(ə)ɹi] (New-Zealand)
• /ˌkɒntɹəˈdɪkt(ə)ɹi/ (Canada, dialectal) of the US
• /ˌkɒntɹəˈdəkt(ə)ɹi/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˌkɔntɹəˈdɪkt(ə)ɹi/ (Australia)

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin contradictorius, from Latin contradico. Equivalent to contradict + -ory.

Meanings

1. Either of a pair of propositions, that cannot both be true or both be false.
   • If one proposition is the negation of another, it follows trivially from the definition that the two propositions are contradictories. The converse does not hold. Two propositions can be contradictories without either being the negation of the other. For example: 3) John is more than six feet tall and 4) John is either exactly six feet tall or else less than six feet tall are contradictories, but neither is the negation of the other. Negation is one way, but not the only way, of forming a contradictory. 2001, Mark Sainsbury, chapter 1, in Logical Forms — An Introduction to Philosophical Logic, 2nd edition, Blackwell Publishing, →ISBN, §4, page 20:

Forms

Hyponyms

negation

Relateds

paradox · oxymoron

Translations (6)

mk контрадикција (any of a pair of propositions, that cannot both be true or both be false) · mk противречие (any of a pair of propositions, that cannot both be true or both be false) · ro contradicție (any of a pair of propositions, that cannot both be true or both be false) · ro contrazicere (any of a pair of propositions, that cannot both be true or both be false) · ar نَقِيض (any of a pair of propositions, that cannot both be true or both be false) · nl tegenstrijdigheid (any of a pair of propositions, that cannot both be true or both be false)