sophistic

American  

[suh-fis-tik] / səˈfɪs tɪk /

Also sophistical

adjective

1. of the nature of sophistry; fallacious.

2. characteristic or suggestive of sophistry.

3. given to the use of sophistry.

4. of or relating to sophists or sophistry.

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sophistic British  

/ səˈfɪstɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to sophists or sophistry

2. consisting of sophisms or sophistry; specious

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Other Word Forms

• antisophistic adjective
• nonsophistic adjective
• nonsophistical adjective
• nonsophistically adverb
• nonsophisticalness noun
• sophistically adverb
• sophisticalness noun
• unsophistic adjective
• unsophistical adjective
• unsophistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of sophistic

1540–50; < Latin sophisticus < Greek sophistikós, equivalent to sophist ( ḗs ) ( sophist ) + -ikos -ic

Example Sentences

“Lying flat is my sophistic movement,” he wrote, referring to the Greek philosopher Diogenes, who was known for living in a barrel.

From Washington Post

These policies have caused Facebook employees to push back against Zuckerberg's policies, including staging a virtual walkout in June to protest the company allowing Trump's violent and sophistic posts to remain on their site.

From Salon

Zuckerberg's attitude towards the role of social media in serving as an arbiter of truth differs from his peers at Snapchat and, recently, Twitter, which made an about-face in its policies around Trump's sophistic tweets.

From Salon

Capitalism, and its inability for considerations of the environment as anything beyond an "externality," got us into this mess; the idea that it would get us out is laughable at best, sophistic at worst.

From Salon

The characters are treated with odd touches of realism and their sophistic arguments are stingingly psychologized.

From Los Angeles Times