adjective
contradictory
kont-ruh-DIHKT-ree
adjective
1
Saying or implying the opposite of something else, so both can't be true.
"The two reports gave contradictory accounts of the accident."
"His feelings about the move were contradictory — excited but also anxious."
How to Use Contradictory
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDirectly conflicting with something else, so both cannot be true at once.
Common pairings
contradictory statements
contradictory evidence
seemingly contradictory
Word Forms
more contradictory comparative, contradictories plural, most contradictory superlative
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The two reports gave _____ accounts of the accident.
Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin contradictorius, from Latin contradico; built from contradict plus -ory.