Phrase guide

proof by contradiction

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The proof of a statement adduced by deriving a contradiction from the statement's negation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, logic, mathematics, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

17 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 反證法 /反证法 (fǎnzhèngfǎ) — proof of a statement adduced by deriving a contradiction from the statement's negation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 背理法 (bèilǐfǎ) — proof of a statement adduced by deriving a contradiction from the statement's negation
  • Czech: důkaz sporem — proof of a statement adduced by deriving a contradiction from the statement's negation
  • Dutch: bewijs uit het ongerijmde — proof of a statement adduced by deriving a contradiction from the statement's negation
  • Finnish: ristiriitatodistus — proof of a statement adduced by deriving a contradiction from the statement's negation
  • French: preuve par l'absurde — proof of a statement adduced by deriving a contradiction from the statement's negation
  • French: raisonnement par l'absurde — proof of a statement adduced by deriving a contradiction from the statement's negation
  • German: Widerspruchsbeweis — proof of a statement adduced by deriving a contradiction from the statement's negation
  • German: Beweis durch Widerspruch — proof of a statement adduced by deriving a contradiction from the statement's negation
  • Greek: εις άτοπον απαγωγή (eis átopon apagogí) — proof of a statement adduced by deriving a contradiction from the statement's negation
  • Icelandic: óbein sönnun — proof of a statement adduced by deriving a contradiction from the statement's negation
  • Latin: reductiō ad absurdum — proof of a statement adduced by deriving a contradiction from the statement's negation
  • Polish: dowód nie wprost — proof of a statement adduced by deriving a contradiction from the statement's negation
  • Polish: sprowadzenie do absurdu — proof of a statement adduced by deriving a contradiction from the statement's negation
  • Romanian: reducere la absurd — proof of a statement adduced by deriving a contradiction from the statement's negation
  • Russian: доказа́тельство от проти́вного (dokazátelʹstvo ot protívnovo) — proof of a statement adduced by deriving a contradiction from the statement's negation
  • Swedish: motsägelsebevis — proof of a statement adduced by deriving a contradiction from the statement's negation