self-contradictory
self-contradictory — adjective
1. A self-contradictory statement, argument, or action contains two ideas that oppo
A self-contradictory statement, argument, or action contains two ideas that oppose each other, making it impossible for both to be correct or true at the same time.
The politician's speech was self-contradictory — she promised lower taxes and more public spending at the same event.
self-contradictory + opposing promises illustrated
Vinícius showed that the company's new policy was self-contradictory because it encouraged both overtime and better work-life balance.
adjective after linking verb (predicative)
A self-contradictory argument cannot persuade anyone, since its own points cancel each other out.
Maja's teacher said her essay became self-contradictory when it praised and criticised the same policy within two paragraphs.
Bao found his boss's instructions self-contradictory — work faster but never make a single mistake.
- contradictory
broader — describes any opposition between two or more things, not necessarily within one thing
- inconsistent
softer tone — suggests lack of agreement without the strong logical force of 'contradictory'
- conflicting
focuses on active opposition between ideas or interests
- paradoxical
describes a seeming contradiction that may actually be true or logical on deeper inspection
- consistent
ideas or statements that stay the same and do not oppose each other
- coherent
ideas that connect logically and form a unified whole
用法筆記
Commonly describes statements, arguments, policies, or behaviours that contain internal conflict. The word is typically used in formal or academic writing rather than in everyday conversation.