false equivalence

[fawls i-kwiv-uh-luhns]

noun

1. a logical fallacy in which one assumes or asserts that two things are the same or equal when, while alike in some ways, they are not sufficiently similar to be considered equivalent.

Word History and Origins

Origin of false equivalence¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Trumpian rhetoric relies on a rotating arsenal of cognitive traps: Whataboutism to deflect, false equivalence to confuse, red herrings to distract and gaslighting to exhaust.

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We must stop the false equivalence that there are “two sides” to slashing funds, programs and agencies approved by Congress.

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What’s galling is that Republicans, rather than simply condemning Trump, are drawing a false equivalence between his action and former President’s Biden’s last-minute preemptive pardon of his siblings and their spouses.

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“How refreshing it is to hear clear and morally sound statements that do not create a false equivalence or call for addressing ‘both sides,’” Mr. Smotrich said.

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This false equivalence does both journalists and readers a great disservice.

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