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contradiction in terms

contradiction in terms noun: a phrase or expression in which the component words contradict one another, often unintentionally, or are claimed to do so when seen from a particular point of view.

Noun

contradiction in terms (plural contradictions in terms)

  1. A phrase or expression in which the component words contradict one another, often unintentionally, or are claimed to do so when seen from a particular point of view.
    • "A miniature giant" is a contradiction in terms.

Synonyms of contradiction in terms

Forms of contradiction in terms

pluralcontradictions in terms

Questions about contradiction in terms

What does contradiction in terms mean?
Contradiction in terms means a phrase or expression in which the component words contradict one another, often unintentionally, or are claimed to do so when seen from a particular point of view.
What part of speech is contradiction in terms?
Contradiction in terms is a noun.
What is the plural of contradiction in terms?
The plural of contradiction in terms is contradictions in terms.

Words near contradiction in terms in the dictionary

  1. contradicting
  2. contradictingly
  3. contradictings
  4. contradictio in terminis
  5. contradiction
  6. contradiction in terms
  7. contradictional
  8. contradictionary
  9. contradictionism
  10. contradictionless
  11. contradictionlessness

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: contradiction in terms (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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