sophistry 
soph·istry (säf′is trē)
noun pl. -·tries
- unsound or misleading but clever, plausible, and subtle argument or reasoning; sophism
- the methods or practices of the Sophists
Etymology: ME sophistrie < ML sophistria
Converse of object
- use: Geisler is using sophistry, if he is not plain lying.
- give: Marxism and Leninism for them are always a given sophistry, a sealed bible, which gives ready-made solutions and labels for every problem.
Adjective modifier
- pure: Again your supposed explanation is pure sophistry meant to trick children and idiots, but which does not hold water on inspection.
- such: We Russian Social-Democrats declare that we consider such justification sheer sophistry.
- mere: The judge rejected the local authority's argument as " mere sophistry " .
- legal: No amount of legal sophistry will undermine this right.
- psychic: A very useful description of the method is given here Psychic Sophistry and also here.
- economic: I think the debt relief issue is economic sophistry, if that is what he is suggesting.
A land of meanness, sophistry and mist.
When we run over libraries, persuaded of these principles, what havoc must we make? If we take in our hand any volume; of divinity or school metaphysics, for instance; let us ask, Does it contain any abstract reasoning concerning quantity or number? No. Does it contain any experimental reasoning concerning matter of fact or existence? No.Commit itthen tothe flames: for it can contain nothing but sophistry and illusion.
As creeping ivy clings to wood or stone, And hides the ruin that it feeds upon, So sophistry, cleaves close to, and protects Sin's rotten trunk, concealing its defects.
Browse dictionary entries near sophistry
- ‹ sophistication
- ‹ sophisticated
- ‹ sophisticate
- ‹ sophistical
- ‹ sophist
- ‹ sophism
- ‹ Sophia
- ‹ soph
- ‹ sopaipilla
- ‹ sop
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