reductio ad absurdum

[ ri-duhk-tee-oh adab-sur-duhm, -zur-, -shee-oh ]

/ rɪˈdʌk tiˌoʊ ˈæd æbˈsɜr dəm, -ˈzɜr-, -ʃiˌoʊ /

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noun Logic.

a reduction to an absurdity; the refutation of a proposition by demonstrating the inevitably absurd conclusion to which it would logically lead.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of reductio ad absurdum

First recorded in 1735–45, reductio ad absurdum is from Latin reductiō ad absurdum

Words nearby reductio ad absurdum

reducing agent, reducing glass, reduct, reductase, reductase test, reductio ad absurdum, reduction, reduction division, reduction formula, reductionism, reductionist

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use reductio ad absurdum in a sentence

A lot of the culture around movies in the sci-fi/fantasy genre is about deconstructing them ad nauseam.
Patton Oswalt on Fighting Conservatives With Satire|William O’Connor|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Yes, publicizing tragedy gets clicks, gets ad revenue, gets notoriety, and can be done for all the wrong reasons.
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism|Arthur Chu|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
When it came to Android, however, it was ad-supported but free.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art|Alec Kubas-Meyer|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Late former governors of NY, TX starred in a 1994 snack chip ad.
Mario Cuomo, Ann Richards Concede to Doritos|The Daily Beast Video|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST

But an ad-supported version of Desert Golfing was impossible.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art|Alec Kubas-Meyer|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
"I supposed you 'adn't, as 'e ain't 'ere, with yer ma," replied the young person.
Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson
Postrem quid nobis effectum hactenus, seu potis quid attentatum sit ad diuinam gloriam.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Cert ante hoc tempus vix vnquam Gallis vacatum fuit conuertdis incolarum ad Christum animis.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
I don't blame him for killin' the cuss, not a bit; I'd have shot any man livin' that 'ad taken a good horse o' mine up that trail.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
In hoc Isthmo portus regalis est, vbi nunc degimus, ad gradum latitudinis quadragesimum quartum cum besse.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various

British Dictionary definitions for reductio ad absurdum

reductio ad absurdum

/ (rɪˈdʌktɪəʊ æd æbˈsɜːdəm) /

noun

a method of disproving a proposition by showing that its inevitable consequences would be absurd

a method of indirectly proving a proposition by assuming its negation to be true and showing that this leads to an absurdity

application of a principle or proposed principle to an instance in which it is absurd

Word Origin for reductio ad absurdum

Latin, literally: reduction to the absurd

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012