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Sometimes I encounter sentences that are very difficult to unpack into coherent thought. Sentences with tautological double or triple negatives; and sentences where one part contradicts another in grammar or vocabulary.

Since tautologies and oxymorons needn't necessarily operate at the same level of context in a sentence - Can a sentence be both a tautology and an oxymoron?

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    We disagreed by general consensus.
    – mplungjan
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 5:28
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    A sentence can have both a tautology and an oxymoron, as pointed out by @mplungjan. I guess it's hard for an entire sentence to actually be a tautology in itself, though; usually that's just one part.
    – Justin Greer
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 6:01
  • Could make for a good question with a few examples to drive home your point. "Can a sentence be both a tautology and an oxymoron?" -- Like? And pray, why (would you think) not ?
    – Kris
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 7:05
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    "Unless you expect life after death, it's clearly a kind of oxymoronic tautology to base a present value on a future event that is of value depending on the present value on which it depends." [emphasis mine] Francisco J. Garcia-Julve - 2011 books.google.com/books?isbn=1462003516
    – Kris
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 13:12
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    Starting a question with "Can" or "Is" is bad form, anyway. We want to be able to answer questions with real answers that are not Yes or No. A better question would be: "Where might I find examples of sentences that are both a tautology and an oxymoron?" or "How can I determine if a sentence is both a tautology and an oxymoron?" or "How can I change this sentence so it is both a tautology and an oxymoron?"
    – SrJoven
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 17:09

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The sentence

Yes, an oxymoronic tautology is possible, because that isn't a contradiction.

is an oxymoronic tautology.

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  • Ah. But is the oxymoronic component "oxymoronic tautology"? In which case, wouldn't a successful validation of the question mean that "oxymoronic tautology" is no longer oxymoronic? Recursively making the answer both true and false at the same time?
    – LateralFractal
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 14:48
  • If it's not a contradiction, then it's not an oxymoron, and the statement is false ... you can take t from there .
    – Dan Bron
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 15:01

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