paradox

See also: Paradox

English

Etymology

From Middle French paradoxe, from Latin paradoxum, from Ancient Greek παράδοξος (parádoxos, “unexpected, strange”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpaɹədɒks/
• IPA^(key): /ˈpæɹədɑks/, /ˈpɛɹədɑks/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

paradox (plural paradoxes)

1. An apparently self-contradictory statement, which can only be true if it is false, and vice versa.Template:jump

   "This sentence is false" is a paradox.

   • 1962, Abraham Wolf, Textbook of Logic‎^[1], page 255:

     According to one version of an ancient paradox, an Athenian is supposed to say "I am a liar." It is then argued that if the statement is true, then he is telling the truth, and is therefore not a liar […]

2. A counterintuitive conclusion or outcome.Template:jump

   It is an interesting paradox that drinking a lot of water can often make you feel thirsty.

   • 1983 May 21, Ronald Reagan, "Presidential Radio Address",

     The most fundamental paradox is that if we're never to use force, we must be prepared to use it and to use it successfully.

3. A claim that two apparently contradictory ideas are true.Template:jump

   Not having a fashion is a fashion; that's a paradox.

   • 1879, W. S. Gilbert, “The Pirates of Penzance”, in The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan, published 1941:

     How quaint the ways of Paradox! / At common sense she gaily mocks! / Though counting in the usual way years twenty-one I've been alive, / Yet reck'ning by my natal day, / Yet reck'ning by my natal day, / I am a little boy of five!

4. A thing involving contradictory yet interrelated elements that exist simultaneously and persist over time.
5. A person or thing having contradictory properties.Template:jump

   He is a paradox; you would not expect him in that political party.

   • 1999, Virginia Henley, A Year and a Day‎^[2], →ISBN, page 315:

     You are a paradox of bitch and angel.

6. An unanswerable question or difficult puzzle, particularly one which leads to a deeper truth. Template:jump
   • 1994, James Joseph Pirkl, Transgenerational Design‎^[3], →ISBN, page 3:

     And only by dismantling our preconceptions of age can we be free to understand the paradox: How young are the old?

7. (obsolete) A statement which is difficult to believe, or which goes against general belief.
   • 1594, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Act III:

     Ay, truly; for the power of beauty will sooner / transform honesty from what it is to a bawd than the / force of honesty can translate beauty into his / likeness: this was sometime a paradox, but now the / time gives it proof.

   • 1615, Ralph Hamor, A True Discourse of the Present State of Virginia, Richmond 1957, p. 3

     they contended to make that Maxim, that there is no faith to be held with Infidels, a meere and absurd Paradox [...].

8. (uncountable) The use of counterintuitive or contradictory statements (paradoxes) in speech or writing.
   • 1906, Richard Holt Hutton, Brief Literary Criticisms‎^[4], page 40:

     The need for paradox is no doubt rooted deep in the very nature of the use we make of language.

9. (uncountable, philosophy) A state in which one is logically compelled to contradict oneself.
   • 1866, Edward Poste, Aristotle on Fallacies, Or, The Sophistici Elenchi‎^[5], translation of original by Aristotle, page 43:

     Thus, like modern disputants, they aimed either to confute the respondent or to land him in paradox.

10. (uncountable, psychotherapy) The practice of giving instructions that are opposed to the therapist's actual intent, with the intention that the client will disobey or be unable to obey.Template:jump
    • 1988, Martin Lakin, Ethical Issues in the Psychotherapies‎^[6], →ISBN, page 103:

      Defiance-based paradox is employed so that the family will actively oppose and deliberately sabotage the prescription.

Usage notes

• Template:jump A statement which contradicts itself in this fashion is a paradox; two statements which contradict each other are an antinomy.
• Template:jump This use may be considered incorrect or inexact.
• Template:jump This use may be considered incorrect or inexact.

Synonyms

• Template:jump shocker (informal)
• Template:jump juxtaposition, contradiction
• Template:jump puzzle, quandary, riddle, enigma, koan
• Template:jump reverse psychology

Derived terms

terms derived from paradox

• paradoxical
• paradoxically
• paradoxism
• paradoxology
• paradoxy

• Achilles paradox
• Berry paradox
• Epimenides paradox
• Jevons paradox
• Liar paradox
• European paradox

Translations

apparent contradiction which is nonetheless true :Template:jump

• Afrikaans: paradoks
• Armenian: պարադոքս (hy) (paradokʻs), հարակարծություն (hy) (harakarcutʻyun)
• Asturian: paradoxa f
• Belarusian: парадо́кс m (paradóks)
• Bulgarian: парадо́кс (bg) m (paradóks)
• Catalan: paradoxa (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 悖論／悖论 (zh) (bèilùn), 悖论 (zh) (bèilùn), 矛盾 (zh) (máodùn)

• Czech: paradox (cs) m
• Dutch: paradox (nl) m
• Esperanto: paradokso
• Finnish: paradoksi (fi)
• French: paradoxe (fr) m
• Galician: paradoxo (gl) m
• Georgian: პარადოქსი (ṗaradoksi)
• German: Paradoxon (de) n, Paradox (de) n
• Greek: παραδοξολογία (el) f (paradoxología)
• Hebrew: פרדוקס (he)
• Hindi: असत्याभास m (asatyābhās)
• Hungarian: paradoxon (hu)
• Indonesian: paradoks (id)
• Italian: paradosso (it) m
• Japanese: 逆説 (ja) (ぎゃくせつ, gyakusetsu), パラドックス (paradokkusu)
• Korean: 역설 (ko) (yeokseol) (逆説), 패러독스 (paereodokseu)
• Latin: paradoxum n
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Latvian: paradokss m
• Lithuanian: paradoksas (lt) m
• Macedonian: парадо́кс m (paradóks)
• Norwegian: paradoks (no)
• Occitan: paradòxa f
• Polish: paradoks (pl) m
• Portuguese: paradoxo (pt) m
• Romanian: paradox (ro) n
• Russian: парадо́кс (ru) m (paradóks)
• Scottish Gaelic: paradacs m, frith-chosamhlachd f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: парадокс m

  Roman: paradoks (sh) m

• Slovene: paradoks m
• Spanish: paradoja (es) f
• Swedish: paradox (sv) c
• Tagalog: baligho
• Thai: ปฏิทรรศน์
• Turkish: paradoks (tr), çelişki (tr)
• Turkmen: paradoks
• Ukrainian: парадо́кс m (paradóks)
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can
• Yiddish: פּאַראַדאָקס m (paradoks)

in logic: a self-contradictory statement :Template:jump

• Afrikaans: paradoks
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 悖論／悖论 (zh) (bèilùn), 悖论 (zh) (bèilùn), 矛盾 (zh) (máodùn)

• Dutch: paradox (nl) m, tegenspraak (nl) f
• Finnish: paradoksi (fi)
• French: paradoxe (fr) m, antinomie (fr) f
• German: Paradoxon (de) n
• Japanese: 矛盾 (ja) (mujun), パラドックス (paradokkusu)
• Korean: 모순 (ko) (mosun) (矛盾 (ko)), 자가당착 (ko) (jagadangchak) (自家撞着 (ko))
• Latvian: paradokss m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: paradoks (pl) m
• Portuguese: paradoxo (pt) m
• Scottish Gaelic: paradacs m, frith-chosamhlachd f
• Slovene: paradoks m
• Spanish: paradoja (es) f
• Swedish: paradox (sv) c
• Turkish: paradoks (tr), çelişki (tr)
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can
• Yiddish: פּאַראַדאָקס m (paradoks)

person or thing with contradictory properties :Template:jump

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 矛盾的人 (máodùn de rén), 矛盾的事物 (máodùn de shìwù), 矛盾的事情 (máodùn de shìqing)

• Finnish: kummajainen (fi)
• Greek: αντίφαση (el) f (antífasi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: パラドックス (paradokkusu)
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

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Czech

Noun

1. paradox

Derived terms

• paradoxní
• paradoxně

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Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French paradoxe, from Middle French paradoxe, from Latin paradoxum, from Ancient Greek παράδοξος (parádoxos, “unexpected, strange”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌpaː.raːˈdɔks/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: pa‧ra‧dox

Noun

paradox m (plural paradoxen, diminutive paradoxje n)

1. paradox

Derived terms

• paradoxaal
• tweelingparadox

Descendants

• Afrikaans: paradoks

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German

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

paradox

1. paradoxical

Related terms

• Paradox
• paradoxerweise
• Paradoxie
• Paradoxon

Further reading

• “paradox” in Duden online

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Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin paradoxum, (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Ancient Greek παράδοξος (parádoxos)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [paraˈdoks]

Noun

paradox n (plural paradoxuri)

1. paradox

Declension

Declension of paradox

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) paradox	paradoxul	(niște) paradoxuri	paradoxurile
genitive/dative	(unui) paradox	paradoxului	(unor) paradoxuri	paradoxurilor
vocative	paradoxule		paradoxurilor

Derived terms

• paradoxal

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Swedish

Noun

paradox c

1. paradox

Declension

Declension of paradox
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	paradox	paradoxen	paradoxer	paradoxerna
Genitive	paradox	paradoxens	paradoxers	paradoxernas

Related terms

• paradoxal
• skenparadox