sophism
Americannoun
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a specious argument for displaying ingenuity in reasoning or for deceiving someone.
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any false argument; fallacy.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sophism
1300–50; < Latin sophisma sophistry < Greek sóphisma originally, acquired skill, method, derivative of sophízesthai to act the sophist, become wise; replacing earlier sophim, Middle English < Middle French sophime < Latin
Explanation
When someone deliberately tries to trick you by making a false statement, that's a sophism. Inventing statistics to back up your personal belief that dogs are smarter than humans is one example of sophism. Fact-checking the statements politicians make is important, in order to uncover sophisms they might be using. If a candidate falsely claims that the crime rate in a city is rising so that he can gain the support of voters who believe he'll be tough on crime, his statement is a sophism. The word comes from the Old French sophime, "fallacy or false argument," and its root, the Greek sophisma, "clever device or stage trick."
Vocabulary lists containing sophism
Frankenstein
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The Federalist Papers, No. 9 by Alexander Hamilton
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Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions
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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.
That prompted a Foreign Ministry official to say Pompeo had been “letting loose reckless remarks and sophism of all kinds against us every day.”
From Washington Post ● Apr. 19, 2019
Mixing his sophism with some cynicism, Galbraith explained that such shyness will be outgrown before long.
From Time Magazine Archive
It may be a sophism by which you are trying to lull your conscience, but it is my duty to rouse you.
From The Chief Justice A Novel by Karl Emil Franzos
A sophism of the political economists assures us that national wellbeing increases proportionally with the increase in the consumption of commodities.
From The Forerunners by Romain Rolland
He says indeed that by experiment only can we distinguish a sophism from a demonstration.
From Science and Medieval Thought The Harveian Oration Delivered Before the Royal College of Physicians, October 18, 1900 by Sir Thomas Clifford Allbutt
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
