Contradictio in terminis

Contradictio in terminis (Latin for contradiction in terms) refers to a combination of words whose meanings are in conflict with one another. Examples are "liquid ice", "independent colony", and "square circle".

If the contradiction is intentional (rhetorical or poetic), then one can speak of an oxymoron.

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.