Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sign of contradiction

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.44 in modern English

Syllables: sign of -con-tra-dic-tion
IPA

28

Scrabble Score

19

Letters

5

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An entity that enjoys divine blessing, yet is subject to strong opposition.

Example Sentences

"And in shouldering all this in his true human nature, he, the sign of contradiction, was above all the “lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1,29)."
"Still concerning the truth, allow me to quote a letter from Cardinal John Heenan, then Archbishop of Westminster, extracts of which were published in London’s Clergy Review of February 1986: I quote: One of the proofs of God’s favour is to be a sign of contradiction. Almost all founders of societies in the church have suffered. Monsignor Escriva de Balaguer is no exception. Opus Dei has been attacked and its motives misunderstood. In this country and elsewhere an inquiry has always vindicated Opus Dei."
"You shall not kill. This is the fifth commandment, and it has made the Church a sign of contradiction in our time."

Etymology

Calque of σημεῖον (sēmeîon, “mark, sign; omen”) ἀντιλεγόμενον (antilegómenon, “being contradicted, being disputed”), used in Luke 2:34.

Inflected Forms

signs of contradiction (plural)

Questions

What does sign of contradiction mean?: An entity that enjoys divine blessing, yet is subject to strong opposition.
Where does sign of contradiction come from?: Calque of σημεῖον (sēmeîon, “mark, sign; omen”) ἀντιλεγόμενον (antilegómenon, “being contradicted, being disputed”), used in Luke 2:34.

How to pronounce sign of contradiction

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