ad hominem
[ ad -hom-uh-nuhm -nem, ahd‐ ]
/ æd ˈhɒm ə nəm -ˌnɛm, ɑd‐ /
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adjective
attacking an opponent's character or motives rather than answering the argument or claim.
appealing to one's prejudices, emotions, or special interests rather than to one's intellect or reason.Compare ad feminam.
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Origin of ad hominem
First recorded in 1580–90 for def. 2, and in 1780–90 for def. 1; from Latin: literally, “to a person”
Words nearby ad hominem
adhib., adhibit, ad hoc, ad hockery, adhocracy, ad hominem, adiabat, adiabatic, adiabatic chart, adiactinic, adiadochokinesia
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use ad hominem in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for ad hominem
ad hominem
/ Latin (æd ˈhɒmɪˌnɛm) /
adjective, adverb
directed against a person rather than against his arguments
based on or appealing to emotion rather than reason
Compare ad remSee also argumentum ad hominem
Word Origin for ad hominem
literally: to the man
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for ad hominem
ad hominem
[ (ad hom-uh-nem, ad hom-uh-nuhm) ]
A Latin expression meaning “to the man.” An ad hominem argument is one that relies on personal attacks rather than reason or substance.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.