fallacy of division

American

noun

Logic.

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

Etymology

Origin of fallacy of division

First recorded in 1670–75

Example Sentences

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fallacy of division

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

From Practical Argumentation by George K. Pattee

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 St. George William Joseph Stock

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