Formal terms:
* Oxymoron: A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms, often for ironic or humorous effect. Examples: "living dead," "deafening silence."
* Paradox: A statement that seems contradictory or absurd, but may be true. Examples: "This statement is false," "The more you know, the more you realize you don't know."
* Contradiction: A statement that is the opposite of another statement. This is a general term and doesn't specifically refer to a combination of words.
Less formal terms:
* Self-contradiction: This emphasizes that the contradiction arises within the same statement or argument.
* Logical fallacy: This refers to a flawed argument that contains a contradiction.
* Doublethink: This is a term popularized by George Orwell, referring to the ability to hold two contradictory beliefs simultaneously.
The most appropriate term depends on the context and the specific type of contradiction you're describing.
For example:
* "Jumbo shrimp" is an oxymoron.
* "The only constant is change" is a paradox.
* "He said he was telling the truth, but his actions contradicted his words" is an example of a contradiction.