English Explanatory Dictionary

paradox

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. An apparently self-contradictory statement, which can only be true if it is false, and vice versa.
  2. A counterintuitive conclusion or outcome.
  3. A claim that two apparently contradictory ideas are true.
  4. A thing involving contradictory yet interrelated elements that exist simultaneously and persist over time.
  5. A person or thing having contradictory properties.
  6. An unanswerable question or difficult puzzle, particularly one which leads to a deeper truth.
  7. A statement which is difficult to believe, or which goes against general belief.
  8. The use of counterintuitive or contradictory statements (paradoxes) in speech or writing.
  9. A state in which one is logically compelled to contradict oneself.
  10. The practice of giving instructions that are opposed to the therapist's actual intent, with the intention that the client will disobey or be unable to obey.

Pronunciation

/ˈpæ.ɹəˌdɒks/ /ˈpæɹ.əˌdɑks/ en-us-paradox.ogg /ˈpɛɹ.əˌdɑks/

Word forms

paradox paradoxes

Etymology

From Middle French paradoxe, from Latin paradoxum, from Ancient Greek παράδοξος (parádoxos, “unexpected, strange”).

Synonyms

shocker juxtaposition contradiction puzzle quandary riddle enigma koan reverse psychology

Related words

paradoxical paradoxically paradoxician paradoxism paradoxling paradoxology paradoxy

Derived words

counterparadox nonparadox paradessence paradox acacia paradoxist paradoxography paradox sunflower

Translations

Afrikaans: paradoks Arabic: مُفَارَقَة Armenian: պարադոքս Armenian: հարակարծություն Asturian: paradoxa Azerbaijani: نامعقوللق Azerbaijani: paradoks Belarusian: парадо́кс Bengali: হেঁয়ালি Bulgarian: парадо́кс Catalan: paradoxa Catalan: paradox Chinese Mandarin: 悖論 /悖论 Chinese Mandarin: 矛盾 Chinese Mandarin: 佯謬 /佯谬 Czech: paradox Danish: paradoks Dutch: paradox Esperanto: paradokso Finnish: paradoksi French: paradoxe Galician: paradoxo Georgian: პარადოქსი German: Paradoxon German: Paradox Greek: παραδοξολογία Hebrew: פרדוקס Hindi: असत्याभास Hungarian: paradoxon Indonesian: paradoks Italian: paradosso Japanese: 逆説 Japanese: パラドックス Japanese: 矛盾 Kazakh: оғаштық Korean: 역설 Korean: 패러독스 Latin: paradoxum Latvian: paradokss Lithuanian: paradoksas Macedonian: парадо́кс Norwegian: paradoks Occitan: paradòxa Polish: paradoks Portuguese: paradoxo Romanian: paradox Russian: парадо́кс Scottish Gaelic: paradacs Scottish Gaelic: frith-chosamhlachd Serbo-Croatian: парадокс Serbo-Croatian: paradoks
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