Word familynouncontradictioncontradictorcontradictorinessadjectivecontradictorycontradictablecontradictiouscontradictiveverbcontradictadverbcontradictiouslycontradictivelycontradictorily
1[countableC]DIFFERENT a difference between two statements, beliefs, or ideas about something that means they cannot both be true 〔说法、信念、观点等的相互〕矛盾,不一致
apparent contradictions in the defendant’s testimony
被告证词中的明显矛盾
contradiction between
a contradiction between the government’s ideas and its actual policy
政府的想法和实际政策的不一致
2[uncountableU]DISAGREE the act of saying that someone else’s opinion, statement etc is wrong or not true 反驳,驳斥
You can say what you like without fear of contradiction.
你可以想说什么就说什么,不用担心遭到驳斥。
3a contradiction in termsOPPOSITE/REVERSEa combination of words that seem to be the opposite of each other, with the result that the phrase has no clear meaning 用词上的自相矛盾
‘Permanent revolution’ is a contradiction in terms.
“永远的革命”这种说法是自相矛盾的。
Examples from the Corpus
a contradiction in terms• The problem is that there's little to offer in between; high streetquality seems almost a contradiction in terms.• It is just too easy to dismiss the idea of ethical business as a contradiction in terms.• The most important instrument of dirigisme is subsidy, even though subsidy in a free market in a contradiction in terms.• One may say that socialist market economy is a contradiction in terms.• In our business, the phrase "harmlesserror" is a contradiction in terms.• Indeed the idea of civil service leadership is a contradiction in terms within a democracy.• It is sometimesargued that a science of religion is a contradiction in terms.• Leadership without mutualtrust is a contradiction in terms.• Clearly, an unreflective or uncriticalcitizenry would be highly undesirable as well as, strictly speaking, a contradiction in terms.
4in (direct) contradiction to somethingDIFFERENTin a way that is opposite to a belief or statement 与某事相反,和某事背道而驰
Your behaviour is in direct contradiction to the principles you claim to have.
ADJECTIVE | PREPOSITION | PHRASESADJECTIVE➤complete, direct, flat完全的矛盾;直接的抵觸;斷然的反駁▸➤blatant, glaring, obvious公然的違反;明顯的矛盾▸➤basic, fundamental基本的矛盾;根本的抵觸◇There's a basic contradiction in the whole idea of paying for justice.用金錢換取公正這一想法存在着一個基本的矛盾。➤inherent固有的矛盾➤logical邏輯上的矛盾▸➤apparent, seeming表面上的矛盾▸➤inner, internal內在/內部矛盾PREPOSITION➤in contradiction to, in contradiction with與⋯相矛盾◇That's in direct contradiction to what he said yesterday.這一說法同他昨天所說的有直接矛盾。➤contradiction between⋯之間的矛盾◇There is an apparent contradiction between the needs of workers and those of employers.工人的需要同雇主的需要之間存在明顯的矛盾。➤contradiction of與⋯矛盾◇That's a contradiction of what you just said.這話與你剛才所說的相矛盾。PHRASES➤a contradiction in terms說法上的自相矛盾◇The idea is almost a contradiction in terms.這主意本身幾乎就是自相矛盾的。