Widersprüchlichem

Widersprüchlichem is a inflected form of the German adjective widersprüchlich, meaning inconsistent or contradictory. It is used to describe nouns whose traits or statements clash with each other or with a given context.

Grammatically, widersprüchlichem is the dative singular masculine or neuter form in the strong (unmarked) declension, which occurs when no determiner precedes the noun. For example: in widersprüchlichem Verhalten, mit widersprüchlichem Denken. When a definite article or a determiner requiring a weak ending is present, the form changes to widersprüchlichen, as in dem widersprüchlichen Mann or dem widersprüchlichen Verhalten.

Usage notes:

- The adjective expresses a qualitative judgment about coherence or internal consistency, often applied to statements, arguments, or patterns of behavior.

- Its meaning can range from outright logical contradiction to broader incoherence or lack of internal consistency.

- In comparative or superlative forms, the same declension rules apply (zunächst widersprüchlicher, am widersprüchlichsten, etc., with appropriate articles or lack thereof).

Examples:

- In widersprüchlichem Verhalten zeigte er Inkonsistenzen.

- Der Bericht enthält widersprüchliche Aussagen.

- Ein widersprüchliches Argument lässt sich schwer nachvollziehen.

Etymologie:

The word is formed from Widerspruch (contradiction) plus the suffix -lich, yielding widersprüchlich, with widersprüchlichem as one of its inflected forms. The term is common in formal, academic, and journalistic German when characterizing inconsistencies or contradictions.