To contradict means to say that something is wrong by stating the opposite, or to be in conflict with something that was said or done earlier.

Basic meaning

  • When you contradict someone, you say the opposite of what they just said and deny it is true.
  • Something can also contradict another thing if both cannot be true at the same time (for example, two stories that don’t match).

Simple examples

  • If your friend says, “It’s definitely raining,” and you say, “No, it’s sunny,” you contradict your friend.
  • If a person says, “I never eat sweets,” but later says, “I love eating chocolate every day,” they contradict themselves.
  • If evidence in a trial does not support what a witness said, people say, “The evidence contradicts his testimony.”

Quick grammar notes

  • Verb: contradict
    • Present: “I contradict,” “she contradicts”
    • Past: “he contradicted”
    • “Contradict yourself” = say something that clashes with what you said before.

In short: “Contradict” is about opposing, denying, or clashing with a statement so that both sides cannot be true at the same time.

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