syllogism

[sil-uh-jiz-uh m]

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noun

Logic. an argument the conclusion of which is supported by two premises, of which one (major premise) contains the term (major term) that is the predicate of the conclusion, and the other (minor premise) contains the term (minor term) that is the subject of the conclusion; common to both premises is a term (middle term) that is excluded from the conclusion. A typical form is “All A is C; all B is A; therefore all B is C.”

deductive reasoning.

an extremely subtle, sophisticated, or deceptive argument.

Origin of syllogism

1350–1400; < Latin syllogismus < Greek syllogismós, equivalent to syllog- (see syllogize) + -ismos -ism; replacing Middle English silogime < Old French < Latin, as above

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for syllogism

deduction, dialectic, reasoning, logic, argument

Examples from the Web for syllogism

Contemporary Examples of syllogism

I thought I would be protected by historical precision, reputation, syllogism and sincerity.
Real Life, not “Counterlife”
Bernard Avishai
April 2, 2012

Historical Examples of syllogism

The first part answers to the term, the second to the proposition, the third to the syllogism.
Sophist
Plato
We also can make a syllogism, and it reads thus: The present State is tolerable.
Social Justice Without Socialism
John Bates Clark
It bristles with incongruity and contradiction, yet it is as logical as a syllogism.
Ainslee's, Vol. 15, No. 6, July 1905
Various
The major premise of this syllogism is a fact of observation.
Christianity and Greek Philosophy
Benjamin Franklin Cocker
State two or three of Burke's arguments in the form of a syllogism.
Teachers' Outlines for Studies in English
Gilbert Sykes Blakely

British Dictionary definitions for syllogism

syllogism

noun

a deductive inference consisting of two premises and a conclusion, all of which are categorial propositions. The subject of the conclusion is the minor term and its predicate the major term; the middle term occurs in both premises but not the conclusion. There are 256 such arguments but only 24 are valid. Some men are mortal; some men are angelic; so some mortals are angelic is invalid, while some temples are in ruins; all ruins are fascinating; so some temples are fascinating is valid. Here fascinating, in ruins, and temples are respectively major, middle, and minor terms

a deductive inference of certain other forms with two premises, such as the hypothetical syllogism, if P then Q; if Q then R; so if P then R

a piece of deductive reasoning from the general to the particular

a subtle or deceptive piece of reasoning

Word Origin for syllogism

C14: via Latin from Greek sullogismos, from sullogizesthai to reckon together, from sul- syn- + logizesthai to calculate, from logos a discourse

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

Word Origin and History for syllogism

late 14c., from Old French silogisme "a syllogism," from Latin syllogismus, from Greek syllogismos "a syllogism," originally "inference, conclusion, computation, calculation," from syllogizesthai "bring together, premise, conclude," literally "think together," from syn- "together" (see syn-) + logizesthai "to reason, count," from logos "a reckoning, reason" (see logos).