Forms: 4–5 contradiccioun, 5 -diccion(e, -dyctyon, -dixion, 6 -dyccyon, -diccyon, -dictioun, -dictione, 5– contradiction. [a. F. contradiction, -dicciun, -dicion (12th c. in Littré), ad. L. contrādictiōn-em, n. of action from contrādīcĕre to CONTRADICT.]
1. The action of speaking against or in opposition to (an action, proposal, etc.); gainsaying; opposition.
c. 1382. Wyclif, Ps. liv. 10 [lv. 9]. I saȝ wickidnesse and contradiccioun [1388 aȝenseiyng] in the cite.
1485. Caxton, Chas. Gt., 204. Al the peple of that contre … without contradyctyon came and yelded them.
1533. Bellenden, Livy, I. (1822), 20. Romulus … come … on his toun, and tuke the sammin, with small contradictioun.
1582. N. T. (Rhem.), Heb. xii. 3. Thinke diligently vpon him which sustained of sinners such contradiction against himself.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., II. iii. 124.
| And all the number of his faire demands | |
| Shall be accomplish’d without contradiction. |
1661. Bramhall, Just. Vind., iv. 79. The Saxon Kings in all ages bestowed Bishopricks without any contradiction.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 264, ¶ 1. There are those who pursue their own Way out of a Sourness and Spirit of Contradiction.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), VI. 347. This rule should be extended, in contradiction to the particular intention of the testator.
1841. Myers, Cath. Th., III. § 32. 118. It could only be by continual constraint and contradiction of his impulses.
2. The action of contradicting or declaring to be untrue or erroneous; affirming the contrary; assertion of the direct opposite; denial.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 173. Ye enuyous & irous persone maketh sore contradiccyon & replyeth.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 175. Libertie of overthwarting in language and unseemely contradiction.
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., II. vii. 40. Without contradiction I haue heard that.
1683. D. A., Art Converse, 24. Some are so possess’d with the spirit of contradiction.
1794. S. Williams, Vermont, 167. Impatience at contradiction.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., II. xiv. 304. He cites Ebel, Hugi, Agassiz … and places them in open contradiction to each other.
3. A statement that contradicts or denies the truth or correctness of another.
1724. Watts, Logic, II. iii. § 3 vi. Truth is lost in the noise and tumult of reciprocal contradictions.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), IV. 179. Almost a contradiction of what is said by Moor.
Mod. It contains an official contradiction of the recent rumours.
4. A state or condition of opposition in things compared; variance; inconsistency, contrariety.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 418. But the authoritie of Cicero … is at contradiction with this barbarous opinion.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxviii. § 6. One must needs see if there be any contradiction between them.
1777. Priestley, Matt. & Spir. (1782), I. vi. 65. The manifest contradiction between these two accounts … hardly needs to be pointed out.
1809–10. Coleridge, Friend (1865), 139. Angry contumelies … in contradiction with each other.
1863. Geo. Eliot, Romola (1878), 319. The contradiction between men’s lives and their professed beliefs had pressed upon him.
b. Logical inconsistency or incongruity.
1613. J. Salkeld, Treat. Angels, 235. Such is the omnipotence of God, that … it can effectuate whatsoever implyeth not contradiction.
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., III. vi. § 22. There appears no Contradiction that there should be such.
1862. H. Spencer, First Princ., I. iv. § 26. Unless a real Non-relative or Absolute be postulated, the Relative itself becomes absolute; and so brings the argument to a contradiction.
c. Logic. One of the four kinds of Opposition (contradiction, contrariety, sub-contrariety, sub-alternation): see quot. 1864. Principle (or law) of contradiction: the axiom that ‘a thing cannot be and not be at the same time’ or ‘that nothing can have at the same time and at the same place contradictory and inconsistent qualities.’
1836–7. Sir W. Hamilton, Metaph., xxxviii. (1870), II. 368. The highest of all logical laws … is what is called the principle of Contradiction, or more correctly the principle of Non-Contradiction. It is this: A thing cannot be and not be at the same time.
1850. McCosh, Div. Govt., III. i. (1874), 278, note. The principle of contradiction is, that the same attribute cannot be affirmed and denied at the same time of the same subject.
1864. Bowen, Logic, iii. 49. Here we have the well-known Law of Contradiction. Ibid., vi. 162. There are four sorts of Opposition. The first and most perfect of these is that of Contradiction, which exists between two Judgments which differ from each other both in Quantity and Quality.
5. A statement containing propositions one of which denies or is logically at variance with the other; also a contradictory proposition.
c. 1400. Test. Love, II. (1560), 284 b/1. Understanden well these termes, and look no contradiction thou graunt.
1588. Fraunce, Lawiers Log., I. i. 2 b. As though the naturall facultie of reason were an art of reasoning, which is contrarie to all reason, and includeth in it selfe a manifest contradiction.
1628. T. Spencer, Logick, 175. A Contradiction is when the same Axiome is affirmed, and denyed.
1648. Fanshawe, Pastor Fido, 186. That man that utters contradictions must Speak one untruth.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., I. xii. 58. Both parts of a contradiction cannot possibly be true.
c. 1705. Berkeley, Commpl. Bk., in Fraser, Life, 467. Contradictions cannot be both true.
1858. Mansel, Bampton Lect., ii. (ed. 4), 39. The conception of the Absolute and Infinite … appears encompassed with contradictions.
b. A statement or phrase that is self-contradictory on the face of it: more fully a contradiction in terms.
[1667. Milton, P. L., X. 799. Can he make deathless Death? That were to make Strange contradiction, which to God himself Impossible is held.]
1736. Pennsylvania Gaz., 22 April, 1/1. The Reason of our being left at Liberty to do Evil, is that we may be capable of chusing and doing Good. This is a Contradiction in Terms.
[1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1852), II. 596. Contradictions become elegance and propriety of language, for a thing may be excessively moderate, vastly little, monstrous pretty, wonderous common, prodigious natural, or devilish godly.]
1795. T. Meek, Sophistry detected, 11. He grants the possibility of a revelation, but he is not aware that his ideas of language make it absolutely impossible, which is a contradiction in terms.
1856. Ferrier, Inst. Metaph., IV. xvi. 135. Why is a two-sided triangle a contradiction?
1862. H. Spencer, First Princ., I. iii. § 19. A state later than the last, which is a contradiction.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), V. 9. A virtuous tyrant is a contradiction in terms.
6. A contradictory act, fact, or condition; an inconsistency.
1614. Bp. Hall, Recoll. Treat. (1617), 468. Alas, how full are you of contradictions to your selfe! how full of contrary purposes!
1732. Arbuthnot, Rules of Diet, 393. The only Contradiction to this is too great Heat and Thirst.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 178, ¶ 3. An attempt to make contradictions consistent.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Ability, Wks. (Bohn), II. 42. England subsists by antagonisms and contradictions.
7. A person made up of contradictory qualities.
1735. Pope, Ep. Lady, 270. And yet, believe me, good as well as ill, Woman’s at best a contradiction still.
8. Comb., as contradiction-trap.
1744. Warburton, Rem. sev. Occas. Refl., 137. He has catched me in his Contradiction-Trap.
