paradoxical

[ par-uh-dok-si-kuhl ]

adjective

1. having the nature of a paradox; self-contradictory.
2. Medicine/Medical. not being the normal or usual kind:

   Stimulants are a paradoxical, albeit effective, medication used for certain forms of hyperactivity.

Other Words From

• par·a·dox·i·cal·ly adverb
• par·a·dox·i·cal·i·ty [par-, uh, -dok-si-, kal, -i-tee], par·a·dox·i·cal·ness noun
• non·par·a·dox·i·cal adjective
• non·par·a·dox·i·cal·ness noun
• ul·tra·par·a·dox·i·cal adjective
• un·par·a·dox·al adjective
• un·par·a·dox·i·cal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of paradoxical¹

paradox + -ical

Example Sentences

"So it’s almost paradoxical that these are utilitarian goods," Josh Clarkson, a professor of marketing at the University of Cincinnati, told The Washington Post.

From Salon

That seems to be what life is about, it's a big paradoxical thing.

From Salon

But those themes do not satisfy certain paradoxical values that also make up the conservative mindset: a rather irreligious appetite for worldly possessions, and the desire for a pseudo-empirical justification for greed.

From Salon

It’s a little paradoxical, but we invented by trying as much as we could to maintain the spirit of truth.

From Salon

The American Rescue Plan, which the Biden administration created and Democrats passed in March 2021, has fueled discontent among voters, in sometimes paradoxical ways.

From New York Times

Related Words

• adverse
• antithetical
• conflicting
• contradictory
• discordant
• hostile
• inconsistent
• inimical
• negative
• opposed
• wrongheaded