Contradictory

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌkɒntɹəˈdɪkt(ə)ɹi/

Definitions

1. Expressing ideas or statements that oppose or deny each other, creating logical inconsistency
2. Involving statements or propositions that directly oppose one another, leading to a contradiction in logic or truthfulness
3. Characterized by conflicting beliefs or assertions that create a puzzling scenario where two elements cannot coexist

Etymology: The Latin root of "contradictory" is built from a simple idea: "contra" meaning "against" and "dicere" meaning "to say," so the word literally describes saying something against something else. Latin "contradicere" carried that sense of speaking back or opposing in argument, and from it came the adjective "contradictorius," which Late Latin speakers used for statements that oppose one another. English borrowed the adjective from Late Latin, and its use has stayed close to that logical core. A contradictory claim is one that denies another so completely that both cannot be true, which is why the word is so at home in debate, law and mathematics. The suffix "-ory," which turns a verb stem into an adjective meaning "relating to" or "tending toward," is the same ending found in words like "satisfactory" and "introductory."

Synonyms: inconsistent, opposing

Antonyms: consistent, agreeable