A paradox is when two ideas or facts seem to be opposite and true at the same time. For instance, a joke can be funny because it's not supposed to be funny.
You often hear the word "paradox" used when people talk about things that don't quite make sense or fit our expectations. Think about famous sayings like "the more you have, the less you enjoy it" or "absence makes the heart grow fonder". These are paradoxes because they seem to be opposite of what we'd normally think is true. Philosophers and writers love using paradoxical ideas in their work because they're a great way to challenge our thinking. They can also make for interesting discussions and debates.
How common is "paradox"?
Word paradox is considered uncommon in modern English. It appears most frequently in academic texts and less often in other writings.
Definitions
noun
An apparently self-contradictory statement, which can only be true if it is false, and vice versa.
Example: "This sentence is false" is a paradox.
A counterintuitive conclusion or outcome.
Example: It is an interesting paradox that drinking a lot of water can often make you feel thirsty.
A claim that two apparently contradictory ideas are true.
Example: Not having a fashion is a fashion; that's a paradox.
A thing involving contradictory yet interrelated elements that exist simultaneously and persist over time.
A person or thing having contradictory properties.
Example: He is a paradox; you would not expect him in that political party.
An unanswerable question or difficult puzzle, particularly one which leads to a deeper truth.
A statement which is difficult to believe, or which goes against general belief.
The use of counterintuitive or contradictory statements (paradoxes) in speech or writing.
A state in which one is logically compelled to contradict oneself.
The practice of giving instructions that are opposed to the therapist's actual intent, with the intention that the client will disobey or be unable to obey.
