oxymoron

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˌɑksiˈmɔɹɑn/, /ɑksɪˈmɔɹɑn/; /ɒksɪˈmɔːɹɒn/ (UK)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ὀξύμωρον (oxúmōron),^[2][3][4][5] the neuter of oxúmōros “pointedly foolish”,^[2][3][4][5] from Ancient Greek ὀξύς (oxús, “sharp, keen”) + μωρός (mōrós, “foolish, dull”).^{[2][3][4][5][6]} Merriam-Webster labels the source Late Greek, and RHWU traces it through Late Latin oxymorum to a presumed Greek form.^[5][6] The word is itself an example of what it names.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

In rhetoric, a figure that joins apparently contradictory or incongruous terms to give point to an expression.^[4][7]

Semantic evolution

It is now often used loosely of any contradiction in terms, or of something made up of contradictory elements;^[4][5][1] some writers regard this use as incorrect.^[1]

Timeline

• 1640 – the OED's first quotation;^[7] Etymonline gives the 1650s, and Merriam-Webster and Barnhart 1657.^[4][5][3]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A figure of speech combining contradictory or incongruous words, as in deafening silence or cruel kindness.
2. Loosely, a contradiction in terms; something made of contradictory elements.

Word family

• oxymoronic
• oxymoronically

Related words

• moron
• paradox
• sophomore
• paroxysm

Usage notes

Historically an oxymoron was a deliberate paradox meant to make or reveal a point; the loose use for any contradiction in terms is considered incorrect by some, and may be best avoided in careful writing.^[1]

References

1. [1] [2] [3] [4] Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. [1] [2] [3] The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. [1] [2] [3] [4] Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
4. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. [1] [2] Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. [1] [2] Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press