paradox

[US]/ˈpærədɒks/
[UK]/ˈpærədɑːks/
Frequency: Very High

Translation

n. a seemingly contradictory statement or situation; something that appears illogical or self-contradictory.

Example Sentences

It's a paradox that the more you learn, the more you realize how much you don't know.

The concept of time travel creates a paradox in physics.

She is a paradox - both incredibly strong and incredibly fragile.

The statement is a paradox because it contradicts itself.

It's a paradox that the richest countries often have the highest rates of poverty.

The paradox of choice suggests that having too many options can be overwhelming.

In literature, the unreliable narrator is a common paradox.

The paradox of tolerance states that if a society is tolerant without limit, its ability to be tolerant is eventually seized or destroyed by the intolerant.

The grandfather paradox in time travel scenarios questions the possibility of altering the past.

It's a paradox that sometimes the quietest people have the loudest minds.

Real-world Examples

And the result is a paradox, right?

Source: Osmosis - Blood Cancer

I think there's two ways to resolve this paradox.

Source: TED Talks (Video Edition) July 2018 Collection

Chris calls this the paradox of sex.

Source: 6 Minute English

And that highlights the Craftsman bungalow paradox.

Source: Vox opinion

They call it the Boltzmann brain paradox.

Source: Bilingual Edition of TED-Ed Selected Speeches

This is the coastline paradox in action.

Source: Realm of Legends

I call it the twin peaks paradox.

Source: TED Talks (Video Edition) January 2016 Collection

I call it the paradox of graduation and the concept of the perpetual student.

Source: 2021 Celebrity High School Graduation Speech

But this still doesn't solve our paradox.

Source: PBS Fun Science Popularization

On the ground, people say there's a paradox.

Source: NPR News February 2016 Compilation

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