Meanings
plural paradoxes
- countableuncountableAn apparently self-contradictory statement, which can only be true if it is false, and vice versa.
"This sentence is false" is a paradox.
2 more examples
The active sense of living which we all enjoy, before reflection shatters our instinctive world for us, is self-luminous and suggests no paradoxes.
1909, William James, A pluralistic universe. Hibbert lectures, page 347According to one version of an ancient paradox, an Athenian is supposed to say "I am a liar." It is then argued that if the statement is true, then he is telling the truth, and is therefore not a liar […]
1962, Abraham Wolf, Textbook of Logic, page 255 - countableuncountableA counterintuitive conclusion or outcome.
It is an interesting paradox that drinking a lot of water can often make you feel thirsty.
1 more example
The most fundamental paradox is that if we're never to use force, we must be prepared to use it and to use it successfully.
1983 May 21, Ronald Reagan, Presidential Radio AddressSynonyms: shocker
- countableuncountableA claim that two apparently contradictory ideas are true.
Not having a fashion is a fashion; that's a paradox.
1 more example
How quaint the ways of Paradox! / At common sense she gaily mocks! / Though counting in the usual way years twenty-one I've been alive, / Yet reck'ning by my natal day, / Yet reck'ning by my natal day, / I am a little boy of five!
1879, W. S. Gilbert, “The Pirates of Penzance”, in The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan, published 1941 - countableuncountableA thing involving contradictory yet interrelated elements that exist simultaneously and persist over time.
- countableuncountableA person or thing having contradictory properties.
He is a paradox; you would not expect him in that political party.
1 more example
You are a paradox of bitch and angel.
1999, Virginia Henley, A Year and a Day, →ISBN, page 315Synonyms: juxtaposition, contradiction
- countableuncountableAn unanswerable question or difficult puzzle, particularly one which leads to a deeper truth.
And only by dismantling our preconceptions of age can we be free to understand the paradox: How young are the old?
1994, James Joseph Pirkl, Transgenerational Design, →ISBN, page 3 - countableobsoleteuncountableA statement which is difficult to believe, or which goes against general belief.
they contended to make that Maxim, that there is no faith to be held with Infidels, a meere and absurd Paradox [...].
1615, Ralph Hamor, A True Discourse of the Present State of Virginia, Richmond, published 1957, page 31 more example
Ay, truly; for the power of beauty will sooner / transform honesty from what it is to a bawd than the / force of honesty can translate beauty into his / likeness: this was sometime a paradox, but now the / time gives it proof.
1594, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Act III - uncountableThe use of counterintuitive or contradictory statements (paradoxes) in speech or writing.
The need for paradox is no doubt rooted deep in the very nature of the use we make of language.
1906, Richard Holt Hutton, Brief Literary Criticisms, page 40 - uncountablehuman sciencesA state in which one is logically compelled to contradict oneself.
Thus, like modern disputants, they aimed either to confute the respondent or to land him in paradox.
1866, Edward Poste, Aristotle on Fallacies, Or, The Sophistici Elenchi, translation of original by Aristotle, page 43 - countableuncountablepsychotherapyThe 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.
Defiance-based paradox is employed so that the family will actively oppose and deliberately sabotage the prescription.
1988, Martin Lakin, Ethical Issues in the Psychotherapies, →ISBN, page 103Synonyms: reverse psychology
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA counterintuitive conclusion or outcome.
nounA person or thing having contradictory properties.
nounAn unanswerable question or difficult puzzle, particularly one which leads to a deeper truth.
nounThe 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.
Origin
- Ancient Greekπαράδοξος“unexpected, strange”
- Latinparadoxum
- Middle Frenchparadoxe
- Englishparadox
From Middle French paradoxe, from Latin paradoxum, from Ancient Greek παράδοξος (parádoxos, “unexpected, strange”).
More words from Middle French, Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans paradoks, paradoks
- paradoksin logic: a self-contradictory statement
- paradoksapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Arabic مُفَارَقَة, مُفَارَقَة
- مُفَارَقَة (mufāraqa)in logic: a self-contradictory statement
- مُفَارَقَة (mufāraqa)apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Bengali হেঁয়ালি
- হেঁয়ালি (hẽẏali)apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Bulgarian парадо́кс
- парадо́кс (paradóks)apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Catalan paradoxa, paradox
- paradoxaapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
- paradoxapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Chinese Mandarin 悖論 /悖论, 矛盾
- 悖論 /悖论 (bèilùn)in logic: a self-contradictory statement
- 矛盾 (máodùn)in logic: a self-contradictory statement
- 佯謬 /佯谬 (yángmiù)in logic: a self-contradictory statement
- 矛盾的人 (máodùn de rén)person or thing with contradictory properties
- 矛盾的事物 (máodùn de shìwù)person or thing with contradictory properties
- 矛盾的事情 (máodùn de shìqing)person or thing with contradictory properties
- 悖論 /悖论 (bèilùn)apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
- 矛盾 (máodùn)apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
- 佯謬 /佯谬 (yángmiù)apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Czech paradox
- paradoxapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Danish paradoks
- paradoksapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Dutch paradox, tegenspraak
- paradoxin logic: a self-contradictory statement
- tegenspraakin logic: a self-contradictory statement
- paradoxapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Esperanto paradokso
- paradoksoapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Finnish paradoksi, kummajainen
- paradoksiin logic: a self-contradictory statement
- kummajainenperson or thing with contradictory properties
- paradoksiapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
French paradoxe, antinomie
- paradoxein logic: a self-contradictory statement
- antinomiein logic: a self-contradictory statement
- paradoxeapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
German Paradoxon, Paradoxon
- Paradoxonin logic: a self-contradictory statement
- Paradoxonapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
- Paradoxapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Greek παράδοξο, αντίφαση
- παράδοξο (parádoxo)in logic: a self-contradictory statement
- αντίφαση (antífasi)person or thing with contradictory properties
- παραδοξολογία (paradoxología)apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Hebrew פרדוקס
- פרדוקסapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Hindi असत्याभास
- असत्याभास (asatyābhās)apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Hungarian paradoxon
- paradoxonapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Indonesian paradoks
- paradoksapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Italian paradosso
- paradossoapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Japanese 矛盾, パラドックス
- 矛盾 (mujun)in logic: a self-contradictory statement
- パラドックス (paradokkusu)in logic: a self-contradictory statement
- パラドックス (paradokkusu)person or thing with contradictory properties
- 逆説 (gyakusetsu)apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
- パラドックス (paradokkusu)apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
- 矛盾 (mujun)apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Korean 모순, 자가당착
- 모순 (mosun)in logic: a self-contradictory statement
- 자가당착 (jagadangchak)in logic: a self-contradictory statement
- 역설 (yeokseol)apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
- 패러독스 (paereodokseu)apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Latin paradoxum
- paradoxumapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Latvian paradokss, paradokss
- paradokssin logic: a self-contradictory statement
- paradokssapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Lithuanian paradoksas
- paradoksasapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Norwegian paradoks
- paradoksapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Polish paradoks, paradoks
- paradoksin logic: a self-contradictory statement
- paradoksapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Portuguese paradoxo, paradoxo
- paradoxoin logic: a self-contradictory statement
- paradoxoapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Romanian paradox
- paradoxapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Russian парадо́кс
- парадо́кс (paradóks)apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Scottish Gaelic paradacs, frith-chosamhlachd
- paradacsin logic: a self-contradictory statement
- frith-chosamhlachdin logic: a self-contradictory statement
- paradacsapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
- frith-chosamhlachdapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Spanish paradoja, paradoja
- paradojain logic: a self-contradictory statement
- paradojaapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Swedish paradox, paradox
- paradoxin logic: a self-contradictory statement
- paradoxapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Tagalog baligho
- balighoapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Thai ปฏิทรรศน์
- ปฏิทรรศน์apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Turkish paradoks, çelişki
- paradoksin logic: a self-contradictory statement
- çelişkiin logic: a self-contradictory statement
- paradoksapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
- çelişkiapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Ukrainian парадо́кс
- парадо́кс (paradóks)apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Vietnamese nghịch lý, nghịch lý
- nghịch lýin logic: a self-contradictory statement
- nghịch lýapparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Yiddish פּאַראַדאָקס, פּאַראַדאָקס
- פּאַראַדאָקס (paradoks)in logic: a self-contradictory statement
- פּאַראַדאָקס (paradoks)apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true
Cite this entry
paradox. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paradox
“paradox.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paradox. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “paradox,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paradox.
Source: paradox on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.