Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - contradiction

~ n 1 a difference between two statements, beliefs, or ideas about something that means they cannot both be true  (The prosecution pointed out the contradictions in the defendant's testimony.) + between  (There is a contradiction between the government's radical ideas and its actual urban policy.) 2 the act of saying that someone else's opinion, statement etc is wrong or not true  (You can say what you like without fear of contradiction.) 3 a contradiction in terms a combination of words that seem to mean opposite things, so that the phrase has no clear meaning  (`Permanent revolution' is a contradiction in terms.) 4 in (direct) contradiction to in a way that is opposite to a belief or statement  (Your behavior is in direct contradiction to the principles you claim to have.)