If you describe an aspect of a situation as a contradiction, you mean that it is completely different from other aspects, and so makes the situationconfused or difficult to understand.
...the contradictions between her private life and the public persona.
The performance seemed to me unpardonable, a contradiction of all that the competitionis supposed to be. [+ of]
The militants see no contradiction in using violence to bring about a religious state.
Synonyms: conflict, inconsistency, contravention, incongruity More Synonyms of contradiction
2.
See a contradiction in terms
More Synonyms of contradiction
contradiction in British English
(ˌkɒntrəˈdɪkʃən)
noun
1.
the act of going against; opposition; denial
2.
a declaration of the opposite or contrary
3.
a statement that is at variance with itself (often in the phrase a contradiction in terms)
4.
conflict or inconsistency, as between events, qualities, etc
5.
a person or thing containing conflicting qualities
6. logic
a statement that is false under all circumstances; necessary falsehood
contradiction in American English
(ˌkɑntrəˈdɪkʃən)
noun
1.
a contradicting or being contradicted
2.
a statement in opposition to another; denial
3.
a condition in which things tend to be contrary to each other; inconsistency; discrepancy
4.
a person, thing, or statement having contradictory elements or qualities
Word origin
ME contradiccioun < OFr contradiction < L contradictio
COBUILD Collocations
contradiction
apparent contradiction
inherent contradiction
internal contradiction
Examples of 'contradiction' in a sentence
contradiction
To undermine liberty in the name of protecting a way of life is a contradiction in terms.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
It will become apparent that there are many contradictions.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
This apparent contradiction could be down to lower drink and food prices.
The Sun (2006)
You see no contradiction in helping both couples.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Was free labour a contradiction in terms?
Roper, Jon Democracy and its Critics - Anglo-American democratic thought in the nineteenth century (1989)
It proved to be one of the many contradictions in his life.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The commonest explanation for this apparent contradiction is that poverty and anxiety intensified the need for escapism.
The Times Literary Supplement (2010)
You could see the contradictions being played out on his face.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
This is surely a contradiction in terms.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
And it is surprising how many small contradictions and repetitions there are.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Such politicians see no contradiction between a sense of public duty and keeping things in proportion.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
That would be a contradiction in terms.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
One apparent contradiction was the general dislike of housework but not a denial of the housework role.
Lee Harvey Critical Social Research (1990)
Most see no contradiction between those twin desires.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
How do you answer the apparent contradiction of the next two verses?
Christianity Today (2000)
How to explain so many contradictions?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Charities should not manage prisons: it would be a direct contradiction of charitable purposes.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The contradictions and conflicts in Marxist theory had long been apparent to western critics.
Redwood, John The Global Marketplace (1993)
Wrestling is absurd yet necessary; a far from infrequent contradiction in life.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
This crowding in of history serves instead to intensify a consciousness of the pressures and contradictions of life and society in the present.
British English: contradiction /ˌkɒntrəˈdɪkʃən/ NOUN
A contradiction is an aspect of a situation which appears to conflict with other aspects, so that they cannot all exist or be successful.
...the contradictions between her private life and public life.
American English: contradiction
Arabic: تَنَاقُض
Brazilian Portuguese: contradição
Chinese: 矛盾
Croatian: kontradikcija
Czech: rozpor
Danish: modsigelse
Dutch: tegenspraak
European Spanish: contradicción
Finnish: ristiriita paradoksi
French: contradiction
German: Widerspruch
Greek: αντίφαση
Italian: contraddizione
Japanese: 反駁
Korean: 반박
Norwegian: motsigelse
Polish: zaprzeczenie
European Portuguese: contradição
Romanian: contradicție
Russian: противоречие
Latin American Spanish: contradicción
Swedish: motsägelse
Thai: ความขัดแย้ง
Turkish: çelişki
Ukrainian: протиріччя
Vietnamese: sự mâu thuẫn
All related terms of 'contradiction'
self-contradiction
an instance or instances of inherent contradiction
apparent contradiction
If you describe an aspect of a situation as a contradiction , you mean that it is completely different from other aspects, and so makes the situation confused or difficult to understand .
inherent contradiction
If you describe an aspect of a situation as a contradiction , you mean that it is completely different from other aspects, and so makes the situation confused or difficult to understand .
internal contradiction
If you describe an aspect of a situation as a contradiction , you mean that it is completely different from other aspects, and so makes the situation confused or difficult to understand .
contradiction in terms
a term, phrase, or phenomenon containing self-contradictory parts
a contradiction in terms
If you say that something is a contradiction in terms , you mean that it is described as having a quality that it cannot have.
Chinese translation of 'contradiction'
contradiction
(kɔntrəˈdɪkʃən)
n(c/u)
矛盾 (máodùn) (种(種), zhǒng)
a contradiction in terms措辞(辭)矛盾 (cuòcí máodùn)
1 (noun)
Dee saw no contradiction between his religion and his philosophy.
Synonyms
conflict
inconsistency
the alleged inconsistencies in her evidence
contravention
He denied that the new laws were a contravention of fundamental rights.
incongruity
She smiled at the incongruity of the question.
confutation
2 (noun)
What he does is a contradiction of what he says.
Synonyms
negation
He repudiates liberty and equality as the negation of order and government.
opposite
She's very shy, but her sister is quite the opposite.
denial
their previous denial of their involvement
antithesis
the antithesis between instinct and reason
Additional synonyms
in the sense of antithesis
Definition
the placing together of contrasting ideas or words to produce an effect of balance, such as where gods command, mere mortals must obey
the antithesis between instinct and reason
Synonyms
contrast,
opposition,
contradiction,
reversal,
inversion,
contrariety,
contraposition
in the sense of contravention
He denied that the new laws were a contravention of fundamental rights.