Which statement best defines contradiction?

• A. An agreement
• B. A question
• C. A difference between two or more statements that shows one must be wrong
• D. A similarity

Answer: (C)

Contradiction is when two or more statements cannot both be true at the same time, so comparing them reveals that one must be false. It’s about a conflict where the truth of one statement negates the truth of the other. For example, saying “The cat is on the mat” and “The cat is not on the mat” at the same time cannot both be true.

The best definition among the options is the one that describes a difference between two or more statements that shows one must be wrong, because that captures the idea of an incompatible pair of statements. An agreement would mean the statements can be true together, a question is something asked to seek information, and a similarity is a likeness between things—none of these express the idea of two statements actively denying each other.