minor premise

British  

noun

1. logic the premise of a syllogism containing the subject of its conclusion

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Example Sentences

“And all teenage boys are human beings. That is my minor premise, controversial though it may be. And if my major and minor premises are so, sir, what is your conclusion?”

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

The second is the minor premise, since it deals with a particular man.

From The Mind and Its Education by Betts, George Herbert

In the former case the minor premise of the Theistic syllogism is utterly invalidated; in the latter case it is abundantly sustained.

From Christianity and Greek Philosophy or, the relation between spontaneous and reflective thought in Greece and the positive teaching of Christ and His Apostles by Cocker, B. F. (Benjamin Franklin)

II. the Middle Term is predicate of both premises; so that the minor premise may need no alteration, and to convert the major premise may suffice.

From Logic Deductive and Inductive by Read, Carveth

Then for its minor premise it may take some plain observed fact, Humility is essential to Love.

From The Five Great Philosophies of Life by Hyde, William De Witt