paradox
noun
par·a·dox
| \ ˈper-ə-ˌdäks
, ˈpa-rə-\
, ˈpa-rə-\
Definition of paradox
1
: a tenet contrary to received opinion
2a
: a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true
b
: a self-contradictory statement that at first seems true
c
: an argument that apparently derives self-contradictory conclusions by valid deduction from acceptable premises
3
: one (such as a person, situation, or action) having seemingly contradictory qualities or phases
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Examples of paradox in a Sentence
For the actors, the goal was a paradox: real emotion, produced on cue.
— Claudia Roth Pierpont, New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2008
Again and again, he returns in his writing to the paradox of a woman who is superior to the men around her by virtue of social class though considered inferior to them on account of her gender.
— Terry Eagleton, Harper's, November 2007
She was certainly far from understanding him completely; his meaning was not at all times obvious. It was hard to see what he meant for instance by speaking of his provincial side—which was exactly the side she would have taken him most to lack. Was it a harmless paradox, intended to puzzle her? or was it the last refinement of high culture?
— Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady, 1881
Mr. Guppy propounds for Mr. Smallweed's consideration the paradox that the more you drink the thirstier you are and reclines his head upon the window-sill in a state of hopeless languor.
— Charles Dickens, Bleak House, 1852-53
It is a paradox that computers need maintenance so often, since they are meant to save people time.
As an actor, he's a paradox—he loves being in the public eye but also deeply values and protects his privacy.
a novel full of paradox
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Recent Examples on the Web
Humphrey, an emeritus professor at the London School of Economics, knew that a handful of evolutionary thinkers had offered ways to resolve this paradox. — Elizabeth Culotta, Science | AAAS, "Have humans developed natural defenses against suicide?," 22 Aug. 2019 Apocalypse Now builds a vision of war around paradoxes and incongruities and grueling ironies. — Kyle Smith, National Review, "The Greatest War Movie Ever Made," 10 Aug. 2019 This might be 2020’s decisive paradox: The safer that continuing Republican control of the Senate seems on Election Day, the better are the Democrats’ chances of winning the White House. — George Will, Twin Cities, "George Will: For the Democrats, it’s winnowing time," 4 Aug. 2019 For migrants at the southern border, this seeming paradox is playing out once again. — Paula Fass, Time, "If You're Shocked by Reports on Children at the Border, You Haven't Paid Attention to American History," 11 July 2019 Not surprisingly, this paradox also informs regional politics in the country. — Harish C Menon, Quartz India, "Sri Lanka’s first ever satellite is named after the ultimate villain of Hindu mythology," 19 June 2019 James Lacey’s new book reflects a curious aspect of this abiding paradox. — H. W. Brands, Washington Post, "The bureaucratic battles and political skirmishes that shaped World War II," 14 June 2019 In Chinese, this Socratic paradox is rendered as Zhiwuzhi, which is the official name of what has become China’s liveliest public forum. — Ian Johnson, The New York Review of Books, "China: A Small Bit of Shelter," 9 May 2019 My favorite recent example of the paradox is from Beyoncé’s killer Super Bowl Halftime Show performance in 2014. — Cady Drell, Marie Claire, "The Felicity Huffman Movie ‘Otherhood’ Is the Streisand Effect in Action," 2 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'paradox.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for paradox
paradox
noun
English Language Learners Definition of paradox
: something (such as a situation) that is made up of two opposite things and that seems impossible but is actually true or possible
: someone who does two things that seem to be opposite to each other or who has qualities that are opposite
: a statement that seems to say two opposite things but that may be true
See the full definition for paradox in the English Language Learners Dictionary
paradox
noun
par·a·dox
| \ ˈper-ə-ˌdäks
\
\
Kids Definition of paradox
1
: a statement that seems to say opposite things and yet is perhaps true
2
: a person or thing having qualities that seem to be opposite
paradox
noun
par·a·dox
| \ ˈpar-ə-ˌdäks
\
\
Medical Definition of paradox
: an instance of a paradoxical phenomenon or reaction
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