strange loop

noun

A situation where, by moving only upwards or downwards through a hierarchical system, one finds oneself back where one started. These loops often involve self-reference and paradox.

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Meanings

nounstrange loop (plural strange loops)

plural strange loops

  1. A situation where, by moving only upwards or downwards through a hierarchical system, one finds oneself back where one started. These loops often involve self-reference and paradox.
Cite this entry
APA

strange loop. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/strange%20loop

MLA

“strange loop.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/strange%20loop. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “strange loop,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/strange%20loop.

Source: strange loop on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.