Meaning & use

contradiction

noun·Academic

A statement, idea, or situation that is opposite to or inconsistent with another.

See it in a sentence

There's a clear contradiction between what he promised and what he actually did.

The witness's testimony contained several contradictions that weakened the case.

A note on using this word

"A contradiction in terms" describes a phrase that seems to contain two conflicting ideas, such as "a small crowd."

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

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