enthymeme

American  

[en-thuh-meem] / ˈɛn θəˌmim /

noun

Logic.

1. a syllogism or other argument in which a premise or the conclusion is unexpressed.

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enthymeme British  

/ ˈɛnθɪˌmiːm /

noun

1. an incomplete syllogism, in which one or more premises are unexpressed as their truth is considered to be self-evident

2. any argument some of whose premises are omitted as obvious

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Other Word Forms

• enthymematic
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of enthymeme

1580–90; < Latin enthȳmēma < Greek enthȳ́mēma thought, argument, equivalent to enthȳmē-, variant stem of enthȳmeîsthai to ponder ( en- en- ² + -thȳmeîsthai verbal derivative of thȳmós spirit, thought) + -ma noun suffix of result

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

enthymeme

So the enthymeme version of that would be "Aristotle is a man, therefore Aristotle is mortal."

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2014

“Elvis had to die sometime: all men are mortal” is an enthymeme rather than a syllogism, because it makes the assumption that Elvis was human, whereas anyone who has seen Men in Black knows otherwise.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

He is discussing the three kinds of argument: syllogism, enthymeme, and example, or induction.

From Rhetoric and Poetry in the Renaissance A Study of Rhetorical Terms in English Renaissance Literary Criticism by Donald Lemen Clark

One premise is frequently omitted; the syllogism thus shortened is called an enthymeme.

From Practical Argumentation by George K. Pattee

However, an inference need not be expressed thus technically; an enthymeme fulfils the requirements of what I have called Inference.

From An Essay In Aid Of A Grammar Of Assent by John Henry Newman

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