1. In proof theory, a structural rule according to which one may elide a redundant instance of a formula from a cedent whenever two or more instances of appear in . More formally, this is represented in left and right versions:
2. When is a conditional connective, the classically valid inference
Contraction in this form plays an especially important role in the formulation of Curry’s paradox, which has motivated support for contraction-free logics. The axiomatic representation of the foregoing inference frequently appears as:
3. In belief revision, an operation that removes a sentence from a belief set.