Last Updated：2025/12/04
A paradox about a person's expectations about the timing of a future event which they are told will occur at an unexpected time. It is based on the idea that a prisoner, told that he will be hanged on a day unknown to him, concludes that I cannot be hanged on Friday because if I haven't been hanged by the end of Thursday then it would no longer be a surprise
, and so on backwards through the week.
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unexpected hanging paradox
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Source Word
unexpected hanging paradox
Noun
A
paradox
about
a
person's
expectations
about
the
timing
of
a
future
event
which
they
are
told
will
occur
at
an
unexpected
time.
It
is
based
on
the
idea
that
a
prisoner,
told
that
he
will
be
hanged
on
a
day
unknown
to
him,
concludes
that
"I
cannot
be
hanged
on
Friday
because
if
I
haven't
been
hanged
by
the
end
of
Thursday
then
it
would
no
longer
be
a
surprise",
and
so
on
backwards
through
the
week.
Japanese Meaning
予期せぬ処刑の逆説。具体的には、囚人が自分が知らない日に処刑されると告げられたとき、その処刑の日を論理的に推測できないという、予告された未来の出来事のタイミングに関するパラドックスを指す。
Sense（1）
A
paradox
about
a
person's
expectations
about
the
timing
of
a
future
event
which
they
are
told
will
occur
at
an
unexpected
time.
It
is
based
on
the
idea
that
a
prisoner,
told
that
he
will
be
hanged
on
a
day
unknown
to
him,
concludes
that
"I
cannot
be
hanged
on
Friday
because
if
I
haven't
been
hanged
by
the
end
of
Thursday
then
it
would
no
longer
be
a
surprise",
and
so
on
backwards
through
the
week.
