ad absurdum

American  

[ad ab-sur-duhm] / æd æbˈsɜr dəm /

adverb

1. to the point of absurdity.

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ad absurdum Cultural  

1. An argument whereby one seeks to prove one's position by pointing out the absurdity or foolishness of an opponent's position. Also, an argument carried to such lengths that it becomes silly or ridiculous. From Latin, meaning “to absurdity.”

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Etymology

Origin of ad absurdum

First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin: literally, “to (the) absurd”

Example Sentences

He seems to have viewed superdeterminism as a reductio ad absurdum proposition, which highlights the strangeness of quantum mechanics.

From Scientific American

It treats everything it bumps into at both face value and ad absurdum.

From New York Times

Ross provides a reductio ad absurdum for a quiet digital-age truth: A sprinkling of coveted intellectual property can allow a shrewd company to punch well above its weight.

From Washington Post

It’s the reductio ad absurdum of Neumann’s “capitalist kibbutz”: Everyone is deserving of “growth,” but some are apparently more deserving than others.

From New York Times

The Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox—a thought experiment which aimed to demonstrate that the classical concept of locality must be preserved through “reductio ad absurdum,” was proven wrong by subsequent experiments.

From Scientific American