What does "contradict" mean?
To deny the truth or validity of (a statement or statements).
Contradict
/ˌkɒn.tɹəˈdɪkt/ verb
verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To deny the truth or validity of (a statement or statements).
- Grammar: contradict is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: contravene, controvert, deny, dispute.
- Useful contrasts: based, confirmed finding, external survey corroboration.
- Usage evidence: The results will not contradict the theory.
How to use "contradict"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "contradict" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "contradict" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "contradict" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "contradict" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "contradict" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "contravene" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "contradict", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To deny the truth or validity of (a statement or statements).
"His testimony contradicts hers."
- 2 prove negative; show to be false wordnet
- 3 To oppose (a person) by denying the truth or pertinence of a given statement.
"Everything he says contradicts me."
- 4 be resistant to wordnet
- 5 To be contrary to (something).
"Now no truth can contradict any truth; desirous therefore they were to be taught, how bothe might stand together, that which they knew could not be false, because Christ spake it; and this which to them did seeme true, onely because the Scribes had said it."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 deny the truth of wordnet
- 7 To say things that conflict with each other. reflexive
"The prime minister contradicted herself during her speech."
- 8 be in contradiction with wordnet
- 9 To give an order contrary to (another order or wish), oppose (something). obsolete
"[…] when was the hour I ever contradicted your desire, Or made it not mine too?"
- 10 To give an order contrary to one given by (another person), oppose or resist (someone). obsolete
"Beseemes it thee to contradict thy king? […] I will haue Gaueston, and you shall know, What danger tis to stand against your king."
- 11 To speak against; to forbid. obsolete
"[…] magic hath been publicly professed in former times, in Salamanca, Cracovia, and other places, though after censured by several universities, and now generally contradicted, though practised by some still […]."
Antonyms
Example
"The results will not contradict the theory."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "contradict"?
Common synonyms include: contravene, controvert, deny, dispute, oppose, question.
How do you use "contradict" in a sentence?
The results will not contradict the theory.
How do you pronounce "contradict"?
Pronounced /ˌkɒn.tɹəˈdɪkt/.
Etymology
Derived from Latin contrādictus (“contradicted”), the past participle of contrādīcō (“speak against”) (originally two words).