CONTRADICTION


Meaning of CONTRADICTION in English

ˌkän.trəˈdikshən noun

( -s )

Etymology: Middle English contradiccioun, from Latin contradiction-, contradictio, from contradictus + -ion-, -io -ion

1.

a. : the act of opposing in speech : gainsaying

b. : assertion of the contrary to what has been said or affirmed : denial of the truth of a statement

2.

a. : a statement or proposition containing contradictory parts

both parts of a contradiction cannot possibly be true — Thomas Hobbes

b. : a self-contradictory phrase or expression

a round square is a contradiction in terms

3.

a. : logical incongruity : incompatibility

many patriots found no contradiction in devoting their energies to the cause … and … making a little profit on the side — Sidney Warren

b. : opposition of facts, forces, tendencies, qualities, or events

the inner contradictions of an economic system

4.

a. : direct opposition of logical contradictories

b. : an instance that violates the law of contradiction

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.