SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
paradox
noun
An apparent contradiction that may nevertheless express a truth.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Apparent contradiction
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topA paradox may reveal a truth or expose a problem in assumptions; an ordinary inconsistency need not do either.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See paradox in use
The paradox is that having more choices can sometimes make choosing harder.
The narrator then offered a paradox: to finish sooner, the group first had to slow down. The story explained that careful checking prevented repeated mistakes, allowing the apparently contradictory advice to express a practical truth within the invented situation.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license