syllogism

Definition of syllogismnext
as in logic
formal a formal argument that is formed by two statements and a conclusion which must be true if the two statements are true An example of a syllogism is: "All men are human; all humans are mortal; therefore all men are mortal."

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of syllogism And Lincoln has a famous syllogism where, If the Black man can be enslaved because his skin is darker than yours, then you can be enslaved by anyone whose skin is fairer than yours. David Frum, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026 This syllogism is embraced by many Democrats, who are determined to recapture an industrial working-class base, and many Republicans, who use it as evidence that the government has sold out American workers in the heartland. Adam S. Posen, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021 Twitter users often accept a flawed syllogism by using a conclusion as one of the premises – namely, that the platform spreads truthful information. Aaron Duncan, The Conversation, 29 Oct. 2020 Chairman Xi will undoubtedly want to prevent this syllogism from presenting itself to the minds of Chinese Christians. Cameron Hilditch, National Review, 1 Oct. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for syllogism
Noun
  • Xi equates compromise with weakness and has a hard time understanding the give-a-little-to-get-a-little logic that is the heart and soul of diplomacy.
    Orville Schell, Foreign Affairs, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The tool doesn’t know the company’s pricing logic and can’t see the customer history because that lives in a different system.
    Angelica Kopec, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • But when conversing with AI lab employees, the model tended to give answers that were more cautious and to use reasoning that was longer and more critical.
    Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Microsoft is combining multi-agent orchestration, advanced reasoning, HPC, robotics and potential quantum capabilities within emerging scientific and enterprise architectures.
    Ingrid Vasiliu Feltes, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Showing here also presents McGirr with a much more authentic pedestal from which to project his new synthesis of all that acquired McQueen aesthetic lore with his own design identity—because both were forged in London.
    Luke Leitch, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Rankings and click-through rates are joined, and in some cases superseded, by share-of-voice measures such as brand mentions, algorithmic citations and real-time sentiment synthesis.
    Paul M. Wilson, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Syllogism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/syllogism. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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