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syllogism

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Syllogism is defined as logical reasoning where you arrive at a conclusion by looking at two other premises or ideas.

(noun)

If you know all squares are rectangles and all rectangles are shapes, and you deduce from this that all squares are shapes; this is an example of syllogism.

See syllogism in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

an argument or form of reasoning in which two statements or premises are made and a logical conclusion is drawn from themEx.: All mammals are warmblooded (major premise); whales are mammals (minor premise); therefore, whales are warmblooded (conclusion)
reasoning from the general to the particular; deductive logic
an instance of subtle, tricky, or specious reasoning

Origin: ME silogisme < MFr < L syllogismus < Gr syllogismos, a reckoning together < syllogizesthai, to reckon together, sum up < syn-, together + logizesthai, to reason < logos, word: see logic

Related Forms:

syllogistic adjective or syllogistical
syllogistically adverb

See syllogism in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

Logic A form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion; for example, All humans are mortal, the major premise, I am a human, the minor premise, therefore, I am mortal, the conclusion.
Reasoning from the general to the specific; deduction.
A subtle or specious piece of reasoning.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English silogisme

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Latin syllogismus

Origin: , from Greek sullogismos

Origin: , from sullogizesthai, to infer

Origin: : sun-, syn-

Origin: + logizesthai, to count, reckon (from logos, reason; see leg- in Indo-European roots)

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