to assert the contrary or opposite of; deny directly and categorically.
2.
to speak contrary to the assertions of:
to contradict oneself.
3.
(of an action or event) to imply a denial of:
His way of life contradicts his stated principles.
4.
Obsolete. to speak or declare against; oppose.
verb (used without object)
5.
to utter a contrary statement.
Origin
1560-70; < Latincontrādictus (past participle of contrādīcere to gainsay), equivalent to contrā-contra-1 + dic- (variant stem of dīcere to speak) + -tus past participle suffix
Related forms
contradictable, adjective
contradicter, contradictor, noun
uncontradictable, adjective
uncontradictably, adverb
uncontradicted, adjective
uncontradictedly, adverb
Synonyms
1, 2. gainsay, impugn, controvert, dispute. See deny.
Antonyms
1. support.
Examples from the web for contradict
The doubts of the ignorant have no power whatsoever to contradict the direct experience of those who know.
The findings contradict current models of yeast growth.
The data is messy, and the studies often contradict each other.
The results don't contradict the basic physics of crashes.
She stops, glancing around apprehensively, as if someone might contradict her.
Unfortunately, his discoveries-relativity and quantum theory-contradict one another.
In fact, the two arguments do not contradict each other.
They do not even publish your treatises if you contradict these theories.
It will be all of one cloth and not contradict itself.
The biochemical interactions directly contradict a random evolutionary process.
British Dictionary definitions for contradict
contradict
/ˌkɒntrəˈdɪkt/
verb
1.
(transitive) to affirm the opposite of (a proposition, statement, etc)
2.
(transitive) to declare (a proposition, statement, etc) to be false or incorrect; deny
3.
(intransitive) to be argumentative or contrary
4.
(transitive) to be inconsistent with (a proposition, theory, etc): the facts contradicted his theory
5.
(intransitive) (of two or more facts, principles, etc) to be at variance; be in contradiction
C16: from Latin contrādīcere, from contra- + dīcere to speak, say
Word Origin and History for contradict
v.
1570s, "speak against," also "assert the contrary" (1580s), from Latin contradictus, past participle of contradicere (see contradiction). Related: Contradicted; contradicting; contradictive.