contradict

Everyday

1. To contradict someone means to say the opposite of what they have said, showing you think they are wrong. tree →
2. If two facts or statements contradict each other, they cannot both be true. tree →
3. To contradict yourself means to say two things that do not fit together. tree →

In the lessons

In maths and science, a result that contradicts your prediction shows the prediction was wrong; in logic, two statements that contradict cannot both be true. In detective stories, a witness whose stories contradict each other may be lying. In manners lessons, contradicting adults rudely is discouraged, but polite disagreement is fine. Phrases: «contradict each other», «contradict yourself», «don't contradict me».

Examples

• The two witnesses contradicted each other. tree →
• "Don't contradict your grandfather," said Mum. tree →
• The results of our test contradicted our prediction. tree →
• You just contradicted yourself: first you said yes, then no. tree →
• The new evidence contradicts his story. tree →
• It's fine to contradict someone politely if you have facts. tree →
• "All odd numbers end in 1" is contradicted by the number 3. tree →
• "Will you dare to contradict me?" said the step-mother. tree →

Note

Regular verb: contradicted, contradicting. Noun: contradiction; adjective: contradictory. Prefix «contra-» means against, «dict» means say. In maths, one counter-example is enough to contradict a rule that says "all".

In Jewish tradition

In maths and science, a result that contradicts your prediction shows the prediction was wrong; in logic, two statements that contradict cannot both be true. In detective stories, a witness whose stories contradict each other may be lying. In manners lessons, contradicting adults rudely is discouraged, but polite disagreement is fine. Phrases: «contradict each other», «contradict yourself», «don't contradict me».

Note

Regular verb: contradicted, contradicting. Noun: contradiction; adjective: contradictory. Prefix «contra-» means against, «dict» means say. In maths, one counter-example is enough to contradict a rule that says "all".