A-Z: General definitions: Paradox

Definition

A statement which seems absurd and impossible, but is in fact true. A famous comic example comes from the opera 'The Pirates of Penzance' by Gilbert and Sullivan, where the hero, who has lived for twenty-one years, is told that he has only just passed his fifth birthday; he turns out to have been born on February 29th, which only features in the calendar every fourth year.

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