Contradiction In Terms (Noun)
Meaning
(logic) a statement that is necessarily false; "the statement `he is brave and he is not brave' is a contradiction".
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The phrase "open secret" is a classic example of a contradiction in terms because something cannot be both open and secret simultaneously.
- The statement "jumbo shrimp" is widely regarded as a contradiction in terms, as shrimp are by definition small.
- The concept of "random order" can be seen as a contradiction in terms, as something that is truly random cannot follow an order.
- Describing a noise as "deafening silence" is a contradiction in terms because silence, by definition, cannot be deafening.
- The term "original copy" is a contradiction in terms since something cannot be both an original and a copy at the same time.