Adjacent Words

Contradictory definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CONTRADICTORY, a.
1. Affirming the contrary; implying a denial of what has been asserted; as contradictory assertion.
2. Inconsistent; opposite; contrary; as contradictory schemes.
CONTRADICTORY, n. A proposition which denies or opposes another in all its terms; contrariety; inconsistency.
It is common with princes to will contradictories.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: of words or propositions so related that both cannot be true and both cannot be false; "`perfect' and `imperfect' are contradictory terms"
2: that confounds or contradicts or confuses [syn: confounding, contradictory]
3: in disagreement; "the figures are at odds with our findings"; "contradictory attributes of unjust justice and loving vindictiveness"- John Morley [syn: at odds, conflicting, contradictory, self-contradictory]
4: unable to be both true at the same time [syn: contradictory, mutually exclusive] n
1: two propositions are contradictories if both cannot be true (or both cannot be false) at the same time

Merriam Webster's

I. noun (plural -ries) Date: 14th century a proposition so related to another that if either of the two is true the other is false and if either is false the other must be true II. adjective Date: 1656 involving, causing, or constituting a contradiction <contradictory statements> Synonyms: see opposite • contradictorily adverb • contradictoriness noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 expressing a denial or opposite statement. 2 (of statements etc.) mutually opposed or inconsistent. 3 (of a person) inclined to contradict. 4 Logic (of two propositions) so related that one and only one must be true. Derivatives: contradictorily adv. contradictoriness n. Etymology: ME f. LL contradictorius (as CONTRADICT)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Contradictory Con`tra*dict"o*ry, a. [LL. contradictorius: cf. F. contradictoire.] 1. Affirming the contrary; implying a denial of what has been asserted; also, mutually contradicting; inconsistent. ``Contradictory assertions.'' --South. 2. Opposing or opposed; repugnant. Schemes . . . contradictory to common sense. --Addisn.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Contradictory Con`tra*dict"o*ry, n.; pl. Contradictories. 1. A proposition or thing which denies or opposes another; contrariety. It is common with princes to will contradictories. --Bacon. 2. pl. (Logic) propositions with the same terms, but opposed to each other both in quality and quantity.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

If two or more facts, ideas, or statements are contradictory, they state or imply that opposite things are true. Customs officials have made a series of contradictory statements about the equipment... ...advice that sometimes is contradictory and confusing. ADJ

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Opposite, contrary, inconsistent, repugnant.

Moby Thesaurus

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