paradoxical.

Seeming contradictory or contrary to expectations, even if it may be true.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• paradoxical result
• paradoxical situation

On the page

The paradoxical result prompted a closer look at the assumptions.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Comparative more paradoxical; superlative most paradoxical when comparison is meaningful. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: analysis, evaluation, qualification. Commonness: moderately common.