[par.a.dox] n [L paradoxum, fr. Gk paradoxon, fr. neut. of paradoxos contrary to expectation, fr. para- + dokein to think, seem--more at decent] (1540) 1: a tenet contrary to received opinion
2. a: a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true b: a self-contradictory statement that at first seems true c: an argument that apparently derives self-contradictory conclusions by valid deduction from acceptable premises
3: something or someone with seemingly contradictory qualities or phases