self-contradiction

American  

[self-kon-truh-dik-shuhn, self-] / ˈsɛlfˌkɒn trəˈdɪk ʃən, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

1. an act or instance of contradicting oneself or itself.

2. a statement containing contradictory elements.

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Other Word Forms

• self-contradicting adjective
• self-contradictory adjective

Etymology

Origin of self-contradiction

First recorded in 1650–60

Example Sentences

There are some forms of self-contradiction that threaten the reputation of legal theories and the judges who wield them.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 21, 2024

In her statement, Kim Yo Jong said the criticisms of the launch were "self-contradiction" as the U.S. and other countries have already launched "thousands of satellites."

From Reuters • Jun. 1, 2023

There are good reasons for a certain amount of strategic ambiguity, but not when it drifts into a muddled self-contradiction, as we seem to be doing now.

From Slate • May 24, 2022

He may also be the most quintessentially Californian, embodying an admixture of contemplation, activism and self-contradiction at the heart of a nation-state with a population bigger than Canada’s.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2020

For by will is generally meant a psychical faculty; and to speak of "unconscious will" is either a self-contradiction or a mere figure of speech.

From A Review of the Systems of Ethics Founded on the Theory of Evolution by Williams, C. M.