Meanings
- A thought experiment involving a game between two players, one of whom purports to be able to predict the future. The first player has to try to maximize winnings by choosing one of two boxes of money; however, the amount won also depends on whether a prediction made about the choice by the other player proves to be true.
Synonyms: Newcomb's problem
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounA thought experiment involving a game between two players, one of whom purports to be able to predict the future. The first player has to try to maximize winnings by choosing one of two boxes of money; however, the amount won also depends on whether a prediction made about the choice by the other player proves to be true.
Origin
Created by William Newcomb of the University of California.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Newcomb's paradox. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Newcomb's%20paradox
“Newcomb's paradox.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Newcomb's%20paradox. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Newcomb's paradox,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Newcomb's%20paradox.
Source: Newcomb's paradox on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.