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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

par·a·dox

Audio Help [par-uh-doks] Pronunciation Key

–noun

1.	a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.

2.	a self-contradictory and false proposition.

3.	any person, thing, or situation exhibiting an apparently contradictory nature.

4.	an opinion or statement contrary to commonly accepted opinion.

[Origin: 1530–40; < L paradoxum < Gk parádoxon, n. use of neut. of parádoxos unbelievable, lit., beyond belief. See para-¹, orthodox

]

—Related forms

par·a·dox·i·cal, par·a·dox·al, adjective

par·a·dox·i·cal·ly, adverb

par·a·dox·i·cal·ness, par·a·dox·i·cal·i·ty, noun

par·a·dox·ol·o·gy, noun

—Synonyms 3. puzzle, anomaly, riddle.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
paradox

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

par·a·dox Audio Help (pār'ə-dŏks') Pronunciation Key
n.

A seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true: the paradox that standing is more tiring than walking.
One exhibiting inexplicable or contradictory aspects: "The silence of midnight, to speak truly, though apparently a paradox, rung in my ears" (Mary Shelley).
An assertion that is essentially self-contradictory, though based on a valid deduction from acceptable premises.
A statement contrary to received opinion.

[Latin paradoxum, from Greek paradoxon, from neuter sing. of paradoxos, conflicting with expectation : para-, beyond; see para-¹ + doxa, opinion (from dokein, to think; see dek- in Indo-European roots).]

par'a·dox'i·cal adj., par'a·dox'i·cal·ly adv., par'a·dox'i·cal·ness n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
paradox

1540, from L. paradoxum "paradox, statement seemingly absurd yet really true," from Gk. paradoxon, from neut. of adj. paradoxos "contrary to expectation, incredible," from para- "contrary to" + doxa "opinion."

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

paradox
noun
(logic) a statement that contradicts itself; "'I always lie' is a paradox because if it is true it must be false"

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
paradox [ˈpӕrədoks] noun

a statement etc that seems to contradict itself but which is nevertheless true
Example: If your birthday is on February 29 you could state the paradox that you are thirteen years old although you have only had three birthdays.

Arabic:	تَناقُض
Chinese (Simplified):	似非而是的论点，自相矛盾的话
Chinese (Traditional):	似非而是的論點，自相矛盾的話
Czech:	paradox
Danish:	paradoks
Dutch:	paradox
Estonian:	paradoks
Finnish:	paradoksi
French:	paradoxe
German:	das Paradox
Greek:	παραδοξολογία
Hungarian:	paradoxon
Icelandic:	þverstæða, þversögn
Indonesian:	paradoks
Italian:	paradosso

Japanese:	逆説
Korean:	역설(逆說)
Latvian:	paradokss
Lithuanian:	paradoksas
Norwegian:	paradoks
Polish:	paradoks
Portuguese (Brazil):	paradoxo
Portuguese (Portugal):	paradoxo
Romanian:	paradox
Russian:	парадокс
Slovak:	paradox
Slovenian:	paradoks
Spanish:	paradoja
Swedish:	paradox
Turkish:	paradoks

American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition - Cite This Source - Share This
paradox

A statement that seems contradictory or absurd but is actually valid or true. According to one proverbial paradox, we must sometimes be cruel in order to be kind. Another form of paradox is a statement that truly is contradictory and yet follows logically from other statements that do not seem open to objection. If someone says, “I am lying,” for example, and we assume that his statement is true, it must be false. The paradox is that the statement “I am lying” is false if it is true.

[Chapter:] Conventions of Written English

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing - Cite This Source - Share This

Paradox database
A relational database for Microsoft Windows, originally from Borland.
Paradox 5 ran on Microsoft Windows [version?] and provided a graphical environment, a debugger, a data modelling tool, and many "ObjectPAL" commands.
Paradox 7 ran under Windows 95 and Windows NT.
Latest version: Paradox 9, as of 2000-02-10 (a Corel product).
Home.
[Update?]
(1996-05-27)

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing - Cite This Source - Share This

paradox logic
An apparently sound argument leading to a contradiction.
Some famous examples are Russell's paradox and the liar paradox. Most paradoxes stem from some kind of self-reference.
Smarandache Linguistic Paradox.
(1999-11-05)

U.S. Gazetteer - Cite This Source - Share This

Paradox, NY Zip code(s): 12858

U.S. Gazetteer, U.S. Census Bureau

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Paradox

Par`a*dox\, n.; pl. Paradoxes. [F. paradoxe, L. paradoxum, fr. Gr. ?; ? beside, beyond, contrary to + ? to think, suppose, imagine. See Para-, and Dogma.] A tenet or proposition contrary to received opinion; an assertion or sentiment seemingly contradictory, or opposed to common sense; that which in appearance or terms is absurd, but yet may be true in fact.

A gloss there is to color that paradox, and make it appear in show not to be altogether unreasonable. --Hooker.

This was sometime a paradox, but now the time gives it proof. --Shak.

Hydrostatic paradox. See under Hydrostatic.

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