ambiguity vs paradox

ambiguity

noun
  • The state of being ambiguous. 

  • words or statements that are open to more than one interpretation, explanation or meaning, especially if that meaning cannot be determined from its context. 

paradox

noun
  • The use of counterintuitive or contradictory statements (paradoxes) in speech or writing. 

  • A claim that two apparently contradictory ideas are true. 

  • An unanswerable question or difficult puzzle, particularly one which leads to a deeper truth. 

  • An apparently self-contradictory statement, which can only be true if it is false, and vice versa. 

  • A state in which one is logically compelled to contradict oneself. 

  • A person or thing having contradictory properties. 

  • A counterintuitive conclusion or outcome. 

  • A thing involving contradictory yet interrelated elements that exist simultaneously and persist over time. 

  • The practice of giving instructions that are opposed to the therapist's actual intent, with the intention that the client will disobey or be unable to obey. 

How often have the words ambiguity and paradox occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )