argumentum ad hominem

/ Latin (ˌɑːɡjʊˈmɛntʊm æd ˈhɒmɪˌnɛm) /

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noun logic

fallacious argument that attacks not an opponent's beliefs but his motives or character

argument that shows an opponent's statement to be inconsistent with his other beliefs

an instance of either of these

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Word Origin for argumentum ad hominem

literally: argument to the person

Words nearby argumentum ad hominem

argument, argumentation, argumentative, argument from design, argumentum, argumentum ad hominem, Argun, Argus, Argus-eyed, argus pheasant, arguta

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

How to use argumentum ad hominem in a sentence

It was a masterful bit of hypocritical eloquence, of argumentum ad hominem; but it was made to simple and illiterate hearers.
The Code of the Mountains|Charles Neville Buck
It was not to this, however, that he directed his objection: the argumentum ad hominem came more easily to him.
The Long Night|Stanley Weyman
But it was the Argumentum ad hominem; and if my uncle Toby was not very expert at it, you may think, he might not care to use it.
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman|Laurence Sterne
In a case like this the argumentum ad hominem, though a perfectly fair one, is a perfectly useless one.
The Contemporary Review, Volume 36, November 1879|Various

The fallacy in logic known as the argumentum ad hominem becomes a pale thing in comparison with this new argumentum ad terram.
The Birth of Yugoslavia, Volume 1|Henry Baerlein