sophistry
pronunciation
How to pronounce sophistry in British English:
UK [ˈsɒfɪstri]
How to pronounce sophistry in American English:
US [ˈsɑfɪstri]
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- Noun:
- a deliberately invalid argument displaying ingenuity in reasoning in the hope of deceiving someone
Word Origin
- sophistry (n.)
- "specious but fallacious reasoning," mid-14c., from Old French sophistrie (Modern French sophisterie), from Medieval Latin sophistria, from Latin sophista, sophistes (see sophist). "Sophistry applies to reasoning as sophism to a single argument" [Century Dictionary].
Example
- 1. Do not listen to this sophistry by vested interests .
- 2. The magistrate regarded the explanation given by the appellants husband as " simply a resort to sophistry " .
- 3. He won the argument by sophistry .
- 4. Universities incline wits to sophistry and affection .
- 5. Instead , he continued to promote the sophistry that there is no conflict between our values and our interests .