sophism Definition
a clever but false argument, especially one used deliberately to deceive.
Using sophism: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "sophism" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
His argument was nothing more than a sophism intended to mislead the audience.
Example
The politician's speech was full of sophisms and half-truths.
Example
The company's claims about their product were based on sophisms rather than facts.
sophism Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with sophism
a paradox where adding a single object to a collection of objects that are not considered a heap will eventually turn it into a heap
Example
The sophism of the heap is a classic example of how language can be ambiguous.
sophismata
a medieval term for logical fallacies or sophisms
Example
The book discusses various sophismata and how they can be used to deceive people.
a paradox where it is unclear when a beard becomes a beard, or when a non-beard becomes a beard
Example
The sophism of the beard is an interesting philosophical problem that has puzzled thinkers for centuries.
Origins of sophism
from Latin 'sophisma', from Greek 'sophisma', meaning 'clever device'
Summary: sophism in Brief
A 'sophism' [sof-iz-uhm] is a clever but false argument, often used to deceive. It is a type of fallacy or deception, as seen in examples like 'The politician's speech was full of sophisms and half-truths.' The term extends into phrases like 'sophism of the heap,' which describes a paradoxical situation, and 'sophismata,' a medieval term for logical fallacies.
