contradiction in terms

English

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.

Usage notes

• See the usage notes at oxymoron

Synonyms

• oxymoron (considered incorrect in formal usage – see the usage notes at oxymoron)
• contradictio in terminis

Hypernyms

• contradiction

Translations

expression in which components contradict one another

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 自相矛盾的說法／自相矛盾的说法 (zìxiāngmáodùn de shuōfǎ)

• Czech: protimluv (cs) m
• Danish: selvmodsigelse c
• Dutch: contradictie (nl), tegenspraak (nl)
• Esperanto: oksimoro (eo)
• Finnish: sanonnan ristiriitaisuus, mahdottomuus (fi), mahdoton ajatus
• French: contradiction (fr) f
• German: Widerspruch in sich m
• Hungarian: önellentmondás (hu), fából vaskarika
• Icelandic: augljós mótsögn í hugtökum f
• Italian: contraddizione (it) f, ossimoro (it) m
• Latin: contradictiō in terminīs f, contradictiō in adjectō f
• Polish: oksymoron (pl) m
• Portuguese: contradição em termos f
• Romanian: contradicție (ro) f (frazeologică)
• Russian: логи́ческая несообра́зность f (logíčeskaja nesoobráznostʹ), противоре́чие (ru) n (protivoréčije)
• Spanish: contradicción en los términos m
• Swedish: självmotsägelse (sv)