Widersprüchliches

Widersprüchliches is a German term used to describe something that contains contradictions or is inconsistent. The word derives from widersprechen (to contradict) combined with the suffix -lich, yielding forms such as das Widersprüchliche for the contradicting aspect. In everyday language it refers to statements, plans, or descriptions that conflict with themselves or with other parts of a system.

In logic and philosophy, Widersprüchliches denotes properties or bodies of propositions that are not coherent or cannot all be true at once. Classical logic treats explicit contradictions as problematic, since from a contradiction anything follows. This underpins the emphasis on consistency in formal theories and proofs, while more recent approaches in paraconsistent logic attempt to manage contradiction without rendering the system trivial.

In rhetoric and critical theory the term can describe paradoxes or phenomena that resist simple classification, inviting interpretation rather than immediate judgment. Widersprüchliches thus functions as a marker of complexity, ambiguity, or contested coherence.

See also: Widerspruch, Widersprüchlichkeit, Logik, Dialektik, Paradox.