contradiction
/ˌkɒntrəˈdɪkʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌkɑːntrəˈdɪkʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-shən/ (ame, mw)
contradiction — 名詞
- contradictionsingular
- contradictionsplural
1. two statements, ideas, or sets of facts each saying the opposite of the other, m
矛盾；抵觸
兩者互相對立而無法同時成立
two statements, ideas, or sets of facts each saying the opposite of the other, making it impossible for both to be correct.
Paloma noticed a contradiction between the company's safety rules and the way workers actually behaved.
Paloma 注意到公司的安全規定與員工實際行為之間存在矛盾。
contradiction between X and Y
There is a contradiction in the two reports: one says Tuesday, the other Wednesday.
這兩份報告之間存在矛盾：一份寫星期二，另一份寫星期三。
The mayor's speech contained a contradiction: lower taxes but higher school spending.
市長的演說中存在矛盾：一方面要減稅，另一方面卻要增加教育支出。
The research team found a contradiction in the test results after repeating the experiment.
研究團隊在重複實驗後，發現測試結果中有矛盾之處。
- inconsistency
less direct; suggests parts do not match rather than being complete opposites
- conflict
stronger; implies active opposition rather than logical incompatibility
- discrepancy
focuses on a difference between things that should match, not on logical opposition
- agreement
the state of matching or being consistent
- consistency
the quality of parts fitting together without conflict
- harmony
implies a pleasing or natural fit rather than mere agreement
文法句型
a/the contradiction between X and Y
a contradiction in X
用法筆記
Commonly appears in the patterns 'contradiction between X and Y' (comparing two things) and 'contradiction in X' (within one thing). The adjective form is 'contradictory'.
常見錯誤
2. a phrase or statement that combines words with opposite meanings, so that the ov
自相矛盾
詞語彼此衝突的不合理表述
a phrase or statement that combines words with opposite meanings, so that the overall expression does not make logical sense.
The phrase 'silent scream' is a contradiction because a scream must make a sound.
「無聲的尖叫」這個說法本身就是個矛盾，因為尖叫必須發出聲音。
example of a contradictory phrase
The critic called 'military intelligence' a contradiction in terms, and the audience laughed.
那位評論家稱「軍事情報」是個自相矛盾的用語，觀眾聽了都笑了。
contradiction in terms (fixed phrase)
Jumbo shrimp is a well-known contradiction that pairs something large with something small.
「巨無霸蝦仁」是個眾所周知的矛盾說法，把大的東西和小的東西放在一起。
Romi called her working holiday a contradiction in terms because she never rested.
Romi 把自己的工作假期稱為自相矛盾的說法，因為她根本沒休息。
- consistency
the quality of parts fitting together logically
- coherence
the quality of making sense as a whole
文法句型
a contradiction in terms
X is a contradiction
用法筆記
Often used in the fixed expression 'a contradiction in terms' to label a phrase whose parts conflict. 'Oxymoron' is a more technical term for the same idea.
常見錯誤
3. the act of openly stating that a claim made by another person is false or incorr
反駁；否認
直接指出對方的說法不正確
the act of openly stating that a claim made by another person is false or incorrect.
The journalist's contradiction of the official story appeared on the front page of the paper.
記者對官方說法的反駁刊登在報紙的頭版。
contradiction of + story/claim
Gabriel listened to the criticism without offering a single word of contradiction.
Gabriel 靜靜聽完批評，沒有提出一句反駁。
Selim's contradiction of his colleague's sales figures led to an angry exchange in the meeting.
Selim 反駁同事的銷售數據，在會議上引發了一場激烈的爭論。
The defendant's statement was met with an immediate contradiction from the prosecutor.
被告的陳述立即遭到檢察官的反駁。
- denial
stronger; asserts that something is false, while contradiction challenges the speaker
- rebuttal
more formal; presents counter-arguments rather than a simple denial
- refutation
formal and often technical; suggests proving a statement false with evidence
- confirmation
a statement that supports what someone else has said
- agreement
the act of sharing or accepting someone else's view
文法句型
contradiction of + statement/claim/report
without contradiction
用法筆記
Often used in the pattern 'contradiction of + [statement/claim/report]' to specify what is being disputed. When used as an uncountable noun ('without contradiction'), it describes an absence of opposition.