Paradox | Important SAT Vocabulary
They befuddle the mind.
I love the word paradox. Well, I love the concept behind paradoxes. Paradoxes are interesting to think about, pretty much because they are like puzzles.
So a paradox is basically a thing or situation that actually seems like it couldn’t be true or introduces statements or events that can’t both be true at the same time.
Here are some simple examples:
This sentence is false is a classic paradox because if the sentence is false, then that means it’s true, and if it’s true, that means it’s false, and so on.
Another paradox says that if an omnipotent being is truly omnipotent, could that being create a rock that was so heavy that it could not lift the rock?
We can also use the word paradox to describe a situation or a person that doesn’t seem to make sense. For example, if somebody is kind and forgiving in one situation, but cruel and heartless in another, you could say that person is a paradox.
📚️ Definition of Paradox
Paradox (noun): A statement or situation that seems contradictory or absurd but may actually be true or valid; a self-contradictory proposition. Example: the idea of time-travel introduces many paradoxes.
🗣️ Pronunciation of Paradox
IPA: /ˈpɛr.əˌdɑks/ (See IPA key)
Respelling: PAIR-uh-doks
📰 Examples of Paradox
Here are some examples of the word paradox:
It seems paradoxical that the more I sleep, the more tired I feel during the day.
The famous “grandfather paradox“ asks what would happen if you traveled back in time and prevented your own grandparents from meeting so that your parents wouldn’t exist, making it impossible for you to exist, meaning that you couldn’t travel back in time to do this.
“It is a paradox that every dictator has climbed to power on the ladder of free speech. Immediately on attaining power each dictator has suppressed all free speech except his own.” — Herbert Hoover
Hope you liked this one! I think it’s a fun one.