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reductio ad absurdum
[ ri-duhk-tee-oh ad ab-sur-duhm, -zur-, -shee-oh ]
noun
, Logic.
- a reduction to an absurdity; the refutation of a proposition by demonstrating the inevitably absurd conclusion to which it would logically lead.
reductio ad absurdum
/ rɪˈdʌktɪəʊ æd æbˈsɜːdəm /
noun
- a method of disproving a proposition by showing that its inevitable consequences would be absurd
- a method of indirectly proving a proposition by assuming its negation to be true and showing that this leads to an absurdity
- application of a principle or proposed principle to an instance in which it is absurd
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Word History and Origins
Origin of reductio ad absurdum1
First recorded in 1735–45, reductio ad absurdum is from Latin reductiō ad absurdum
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Word History and Origins
Origin of reductio ad absurdum1
Latin, literally: reduction to the absurd
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