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sorites

[ saw-rahy-teez, soh- ]
/ sɔˈraɪ tiz, soʊ- /
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noun Logic.
a form of argument having several premises and one conclusion, capable of being resolved into a chain of syllogisms, the conclusion of each of which is a premise of the next.
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Origin of sorites

1545–55; <Latin sōrītēs<Greek sōreítēs literally, heaped, piled up, derivative of sōrós a heap

OTHER WORDS FROM sorites

so·rit·i·cal [saw-rit-i-kuhl, soh-], /sɔˈrɪt ɪ kəl, soʊ-/, so·rit·ic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sorites in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sorites

sorites
/ (sɒˈraɪtiːz) /

noun
logic
  1. a polysyllogism in which the premises are arranged so that intermediate conclusions are omitted, being understood, and only the final conclusion is stated
  2. a paradox of the formthese few grains of sand do not constitute a heap, and the addition of a single grain never makes what is not yet a heap into a heap: so no matter how many single grains one adds it never becomes a heap

Derived forms of sorites

soritical (sɒˈrɪtɪkəl) or soritic, adjective

Word Origin for sorites

C16: via Latin from Greek sōreitēs, literally: heaped, from sōros a heap
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
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