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fallacy of composition

American  

noun

Logic.

  1. the fallacy of inferring that a property of parts or members of a whole is also a property of the whole (opposed to fallacy of division).

Etymology

Origin of fallacy of composition

First recorded in 1670–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The fallacy of division has been accommodated by modern writers to the meaning which they have assigned to the fallacy of composition.

From Deductive Logic by Stock, St. George William Joseph

The fallacy of division is the converse of the fallacy of composition.

From Practical Argumentation by Pattee, George K.

The fallacy of composition consists of attributing to a whole that which has been proved only of a part.

From Practical Argumentation by Pattee, George K.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.