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paradoxically

American

[par-uh-dok-sik-lee] / ˌpær əˈdɒk sɪk li /

adverb

in a self-contradictory or seemingly self-contradictory way.

Paradoxically, the more we know, the more we identify an increasing number of questions to which we as yet have no answers.

Other Word Forms

nonparadoxically adverb
ultraparadoxically adverb
unparadoxically adverb

Etymology

Origin of paradoxically

paradoxical ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

So, paradoxically, war can leave investors uneasy about shares of defense contractors.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

The economic absurdity becomes clear when we consider that firms adopting AI most successfully would paradoxically see revenue collapse under hourly billing, even as they deliver superior results more efficiently.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

A keystone’s angled downward pressure on each side locks the larger form in place, paradoxically allowing the arch to rise up.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2025

The oddball nature of the product, paradoxically, is probably the reason you’ve heard of it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025

But, paradoxically, that gave Haitian slave owners a new home.

From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023