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Glite Dictionary
contradiction in terms

contradiction in terms

6 6.8
A statement that says two things that cannot both be true
  • noun
  • /ˌkɒntrəˈdɪkʃən ɪn tɜrmz/
translation icon : contradicción en términos
  • The phrase "deafening silence" is often seen as a contradiction in terms because silence cannot be loud.

And that sounds like a contradiction in terms, but there are things that I waste my time on and I'm very proud that I do waste my time on, right?

Examples

  • To claim to know God while doing injustice is a contradiction in terms.

    Academic text (1995)

  • In fact, stability depends on justice, and justice and racism are contradictions in terms.

    Blog text (29)

  • The very expression is a contradiction in terms.

    Academic text (2014)

  • The notion of an evil nature was a contradiction in terms.

    Academic text (1990)

  • The UN and Human Rights have for a long time been a gross contradiction in terms.

    Blog text (25)

  • In my view, at least, "full frame mirrorless" is a contradiction in terms.

    Blog text (18)

  • Strictly speaking, therefore, Indian autobiography is a contradiction in terms.

    Academic text (1994)

  • A culture based on an unqualified pluralism, like a nation without borders, is a contradiction in terms.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Creative poetry is therefore, strictly speaking, a contradiction in terms, and yet that adjective has a revealing significance.

    Blog text (1)

  • An expert in the mystic sciences. "Isn't that a contradiction in terms—mystic sciences?"

    Fiction book (1998)

Synonyms

contradiction
vscontradiction in terms
117 4.3

A situation where two ideas or statements cannot both be true

is a specific false statement rather than a general opposing situation
oxymoron
vscontradiction in terms
  • Literature
24 7.2

A phrase that joins two opposite ideas to make an interesting image

is a logically inconsistent expression that makes the whole sentence necessarily false
contradiction
vscontradiction in terms
  • Specialized
10 5.6

A statement whose parts cannot both be true

is used for absurd expressions beyond formal logical contexts
incompatibility
vscontradiction in terms
2 6.7

A situation where two statements cannot both be true at the same time

is a single expression with mutually exclusive parts that makes it false
antinomy
vscontradiction in terms
  • Formal
1 9.9

A conflict between two ideas that both seem true

is about a single statement that is logically inconsistent and necessarily false
contradictoriness
vscontradiction in terms
9.1

A state where ideas or statements say opposite things and cannot both be true

is a concrete example where the expression itself is necessarily false

How Contradictory

absurdity
54 6.1
contradiction in terms
6 6.8
oxymoron
  • Literature
24 7.2
incongruity
6 8.0

Surface Forms

contradiction in terms singular
contradictions in terms plural

Morphology

contradiction + in + terms

The phrase literally signals a contradiction contained within the ‘terms’ or wording, so a learner who knows 'contradiction', 'in' and 'terms' would likely infer that something is logically inconsistent. However, using 'terms' to mean 'words/phrasing' (rather than e.g. conditions) and the conventional idiomatic use to label a phrase as self‑contradictory/oxymoronic may not be fully predictable at B1, making the expression only partially transparent.

Etymology

Contradiction in terms comes from the image of two terms saying opposite things at the same time, like a sign that reads both 'hot' and 'cold'. So, a contradiction between terms means a statement that 'cannot be true' or simply 'makes no sense'.