sophistic

adjective

so·​phis·​tic sä-ˈfi-stik 

sə-

variants or sophistical

sä-ˈfi-sti-kəl 

sə-

1

: of or relating to sophists, sophistry, or the ancient Sophists

sophistic rhetoric

sophistic subtleties

2

: plausible but fallacious

sophistic reasoning

sophistically

sä-ˈfi-sti-k(ə-)lē 

sə-

adverb

Examples of sophistic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

What is sophistic is therefore to let the movement from sentience to moral status and then from moral status to legal rights happen without making visible the additional premises that are necessary at each stage. — Hamilton Mann, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

The characters are treated with odd touches of realism and their sophistic arguments are stingingly psychologized. — Charles McNulty, latimes.com, 8 Sep. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sophistic

• artistic
• autistic
• ballistic
• cladistic
• heuristic
• holistic
• linguistic
• logistic
• monistic
• patristic
• sadistic
• simplistic