Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense contradicts, present participle contradicting, past tense, past participle contradicted
1. verb
If you contradict someone, you say that what they have just said is wrong, or suggest that it is wrong by saying something different.
She dared not contradict him. [VERB noun]
His comments appeared to contradict remarks made earlier in the day by the chairman. [VERB noun]
He often talks in circles, frequently contradicting himself and often ends up sayingnothing. [VERB pronoun-reflexive]
2. verb
If one statement or piece of evidence contradicts another, the first one makes the second one appear to be wrong.
The images on screen contradict his claims. [VERB noun]
The result seems to contradict a major U.S. study reported last November. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: negate, deny, oppose, counter More Synonyms of contradict
3. verb
If one policy or situation contradicts another, there is a conflict between them, and they cannot both exist or be successful.
Mr Grant feels that the cut-backs contradict the Government's commitment to bettereducational standards. [VERB noun]
More Synonyms of contradict
contradict in British English
(ˌkɒntrəˈdɪkt)
verb
1. (transitive)
to affirm the opposite of (a proposition, statement, etc)
2. (transitive)
to declare (a proposition, statement, etc) to be false or incorrect; deny
3. (intransitive)
to be argumentative or contrary
4. (transitive)
to be inconsistent with (a proposition, theory, etc)
the facts contradicted his theory
5. (intransitive)
(of two or more facts, principles, etc) to be at variance; be in contradiction
Derived forms
contradictable (ˌcontraˈdictable)
adjective
contradicter (ˌcontraˈdicter) or contradictor (ˌcontraˈdictor)
noun
contradictive (ˌcontraˈdictive) or contradictious (ˌcontraˈdictious)
adjective
contradictively (ˌcontraˈdictively) or contradictiously (ˌcontraˈdictiously)
adverb
contradictiveness (ˌcontraˈdictiveness) or contradictiousness (ˌcontraˈdictiousness)
noun
Word origin
C16: from Latin contrādīcere, from contra- + dīcere to speak, say
contradict in American English
(ˌkɑntrəˈdɪkt)
verb transitive
1.
a.
to assert the opposite of (what someone else has said)
b.
to deny the statement of (a person)
2.
to declare (a statement, report, etc.) to be false or incorrect
3.
to be contrary or opposed to; go against
the facts contradict his theory
verb intransitive
4.
to speak in denial; oppose verbally
SIMILAR WORDS: deˈny
Derived forms
contradictable (ˌcontraˈdictable)
adjective
contradictor (ˌcontraˈdictor)
noun or ˌcontraˈdicter
Word origin
< L contradictus, pp. of contradicere < contra-, contra- + dicere, to speak: see diction
Examples of 'contradict' in a sentence
contradict
These perspectives are partial and do not necessarily contradict one another.
Harrison, David The Sociology of Modernization and Development (1988)
The second striking thing is that many of the cited factors contradict one another.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Presumably this is why the experts are all contradicting one another.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
That claim was contradicted by security sources last night.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
But data contradicts claims that the backlog is being cleared.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The detainee handlers and the lawyers for detainees often flatly contradict each other.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Their recommendations would contradict the previous ones.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
He did not realise that this explanation of defeat contradicted his earlier claims that he was destined for victory.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
These verses seemingly contradict one another.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
One person's personal experience can be used to contradict that of another.
Christianity Today (2000)
It is logically consistent: one part of the theory does not contradict another part.
Appelbaum, Richard P. Sociology (1995)
In any case, he often contradicts himself.
The Times Literary Supplement (2014)
He would often contradict himself three times in a 30-minute interview.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
True to form, he had contradicted himself between one interview and the other.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
By the nature of conspiracy theory, anything that contradicts the theory must be part of the conspiracy.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
A police spokesman contradicted the claim yesterday.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
When a patient asked the first question, the doctor might have discounted any information that contradicted his initial theory.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Marconi, and those working with him, had no theory to contradict the received wisdom.
Gavin Weightman SIGNOR MARCONI'S MAGIC BOX: The invention that sparked the radio revolution (2003)
As lives go, this one contradicts that first big hit of his; it is unusual.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The book contains a blizzard of statistics that often contradict each other, leading first one way, then the other.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
That is my opinion, and I am ready to maintain it against any one who contradicts me.
George Eliot Middlemarch (1872)
It is important to know if your results support or contradict your initial theory or hypothesis, or are simply inconclusive; all such findings must be reported.
Appelbaum, Richard P. Sociology (1995)
In other languages
contradict
British English: contradict /ˌkɒntrəˈdɪkt/ VERB
If you contradict someone, you say or suggest that what they have just said is wrong.
She dared not contradict her.
American English: contradict
Arabic: يُنَاقِضُ
Brazilian Portuguese: contradizer
Chinese: 抵触
Croatian: proturiječiti
Czech: odporovat
Danish: modsige
Dutch: tegenspreken
European Spanish: contradecir
Finnish: väittää vastaan
French: contredire
German: widersprechen
Greek: αντικρούω
Italian: contraddire
Japanese: 反駁する
Korean: 반박하다
Norwegian: motsi
Polish: zaprzeczyć
European Portuguese: contradizer
Romanian: a contrazice
Russian: противоречить
Latin American Spanish: contradecir
Swedish: motsäga
Thai: ขัดแย้ง
Turkish: çelişmek
Ukrainian: суперечити
Vietnamese: mâu thuẫn
Chinese translation of 'contradict'
contradict
(kɔntrəˈdɪkt)
vt
(= challenge)[person, statement etc]驳(駁)斥 (bóchì)
(= be contrary to) 与(與)相悖 (yǔ xiāngbèi)
1 (verb)
Definition
(of a fact or statement) to suggest that (another fact or statement) is wrong
We knew she was wrong, but nobody liked to contradict her.His comments contradict remarks he made earlier that day.
Synonyms
dispute
He disputed the allegations.
deny
challenge
The move was immediately challenged by the opposition.
belie
The facts of the situation belie his testimony.
fly in the face of
make a nonsense of
gainsay (archaic, literary)
There was no-one to gainsay this assertion.
be at variance with
2 (verb)
Definition
to declare the opposite of (a statement) to be true
The result appears to contradict a major study carried out last December.
Synonyms
negate
I can neither negate nor affirm this claim.
deny
She denied the accusations.
oppose
Mr Taylor was bitter towards those who had opposed him.
counter
contravene
This deportation order contravenes basic human rights.
rebut
impugn
controvert
Opposites
support
,
agree
,
confirm
,
defend
,
endorse
,
affirm
,
verify
,
authenticate
Additional synonyms
in the sense of belie
Definition
to show to be untrue
The facts of the situation belie his testimony.
Synonyms
disprove,
deny,
expose,
discredit,
contradict,
refute,
repudiate,
negate,
invalidate,
rebut,
give the lie to,
make a nonsense of,
gainsay (archaic, literary),
prove false,
blow out of the water (slang),
controvert,
confute
in the sense of challenge
Definition
to call (a decision or action) into question
The move was immediately challenged by the opposition.
Synonyms
dispute,
question,
tackle,
confront,
defy,
object to,
disagree with,
take issue with,
impugn (formal),
throw down (US, slang)
in the sense of contravene
This deportation order contravenes basic human rights.