paradox. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

paradox

SYLLABICATION:	par·a·dox
PRONUNCIATION:	pr-dks
NOUN:	1. A seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true: the paradox that standing is more tiring than walking. 2. One exhibiting inexplicable or contradictory aspects: “The silence of midnight, to speak truly, though apparently a paradox, rung in my ears” (Mary Shelley, The Last Man 1826). 3. An assertion that is essentially self-contradictory, though based on a valid deduction from acceptable premises. 4. A statement contrary to received opinion.
ETYMOLOGY:	Latin paradoxum, from Greek paradoxon, from neuter sing. of paradoxos, conflicting with expectation : para-, beyond; see para–¹ + doxa, opinion (from dokein, to think; see dek- in Appendix I).
OTHER FORMS:	para·doxi·cal —ADJECTIVE para·doxi·cal·ly —ADVERB para·doxi·cal·ness —NOUN


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.