paradox

[ par-uh-doks ]
See synonyms for: paradoxparadoxesparadoxical on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a statement that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth: “Less is more” is a paradox often repeated in the arts and other fields.It is a paradox of healthy grief that we must work at it while surrendering to it.

  2. any person, thing, or situation displaying an apparently contradictory nature: In the media the candidate was called a paradox—an unpopular populist.

  1. a self-contradictory and false statement, especially one arising from seemingly acceptable premises and correct logical argument.

  2. Also called par·a·dox il·lu·sion [par-uh-doks i-loo-zhuhn] /ˈpær əˌdɒks ɪˌlu ʒən/ . an optical illusion depicting an impossible object, often a two-dimensional figure that the viewer intuitively interprets as representing a three-dimensional one, but which cannot actually exist in three dimensions: brought to popular attention especially by the work of M. C. Escher.

  3. Archaic. an opinion or statement contrary to commonly accepted opinion.

Origin of paradox

1
First recorded in 1530–40; from Middle French paradoxe, from Latin paradoxum, from Greek parádoxon, noun use of neuter of parádoxos “contrary to expectation, unbelievable, beyond belief”; see para-1, orthodox

Other words for paradox

Other words from paradox

  • par·a·dox·i·cal, par·a·dox·al, adjective
  • par·a·dox·ol·o·gy [par-uh-dok-sol-uh-jee], /ˌpær əˌdɒkˈsɒl ə dʒi/, noun

Words Nearby paradox

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use paradox in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for paradox

paradox

/ (ˈpærəˌdɒks) /


noun
  1. a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement that is or may be true: religious truths are often expressed in paradox

  2. a self-contradictory proposition, such as I always tell lies

  1. a person or thing exhibiting apparently contradictory characteristics

  2. an opinion that conflicts with common belief

Origin of paradox

1
C16: from Late Latin paradoxum, from Greek paradoxos opposed to existing notions, from para- 1 + doxa opinion

Derived forms of paradox

  • paradoxical, adjective
  • paradoxically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for paradox

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.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.