paradox
/ˈpær.ə.dɒks/- 1.
A statement or situation that seems impossible or contradictory, but turns out to be true or meaningful on closer thought. It appears to break logical rules, yet often reveals a deeper truth.
- The paradox of choice says more options can make us less happy.
- It's a paradox that the busiest people often have time to help others.
- His essay explored the paradox of technology making us feel more alone.
- 2.
A person or thing that combines two qualities that seem opposite or impossible together. Used to describe something that defies easy explanation.
- She is a paradox — quiet in person, but fearless on stage.
- The city is a paradox: ancient temples stand next to glass skyscrapers.
Adinary Nuance
A paradox is often confused with its near-neighbors oxymoron, contradiction, and conundrum. An oxymoron is a compact two-word phrase pairing opposites — "bittersweet" or "deafening silence" — while a paradox is a full idea or situation, not just a word pair. A contradiction is when two things flatly cannot both be true; a paradox seems like a contradiction but rewards deeper thinking with a real insight. A conundrum is simply a puzzling problem or question — it doesn't require logical contradiction the way a paradox does. In academic writing, choosing "paradox" signals that you see a genuine logical tension worth exploring, which is exactly the kind of critical thinking IELTS and essay examiners reward.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- nghịch lý
- Spanish
- paradoja
- Chinese
- 悖论
- Japanese
- パラドックス
- Korean
- 역설
Etymology
From Greek "paradoxon," combining "para-" (beyond, contrary to) and "doxa" (opinion or expectation), passed through Latin "paradoxum" into English in the mid-16th century. The word has always carried the sense of something that goes against received wisdom.
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between a paradox and an oxymoron?
- An oxymoron is two opposite words placed together in a phrase, like 'living dead' or 'deafening silence.' A paradox is a full statement or situation that seems logically impossible but points to a deeper truth. Oxymorons are a type of word trick; paradoxes are bigger logical puzzles.
- Is 'paradox' a formal word? Can I use it in everyday speech?
- It leans formal and is common in academic, IELTS, and essay writing. That said, educated speakers do use it in conversation. It would sound slightly stiff in very casual chat, where people might say 'weird contradiction' or 'funny thing' instead.
- How do I use 'paradox' correctly in an IELTS essay?
- Use it to flag a surprising tension in your argument — for example, 'There is a paradox at the heart of economic growth: greater wealth does not always lead to greater wellbeing.' It shows the examiner you can think critically, which boosts your score.
- Can a paradox be resolved, or is it always unsolvable?
- Some paradoxes are resolved when you look deeper — the contradiction disappears once you understand the full picture. Others, especially in philosophy and logic (like the liar's paradox: 'This statement is false'), remain genuinely unresolved and are studied as intellectual problems.