syllogize · verb — to reason by means of syllogisms. It carries an Arena rating of 1496, earned across 64 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, syllogize ranks #5,480 of 17,176 for Most Incisive Words, #5,674 of 17,165 for Most Satisfying to Say, #5,844 of 17,162 for Most Elegant Words, #6,599 of 17,187 for Most Malleable Words.
syllogize is pronounced /ˈsɪlədʒʌɪz/.
Why “syllogize” is a great word
SYLLOGIZE — [Verb] To reason or argue by means of syllogisms, i.e., deductive arguments consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion. From Middle English sylogysen, from Middle French sillogiser or directly from Late Latin syllogizare, both from Ancient Greek συλλογίζεσθαι (sullogízesthai, "to reckon together, conclude"), from σύν (syn, "together") + λογίζεσθαι (logízesthai, "to count, reckon, reason"). Attested in English from the early 15th century. Unlike "speculate," which implies forming a theory on uncertain grounds, or "rhapsodize," which suggests an effusive, unstructured expression, to syllogize is to proceed with formal, dispassionate rigor. It is the quiet, unshakable chime of two truths producing a third, the clean line drawn from axiom to theorem on a chalkboard, and the silent, internal click of a conclusion locking irrevocably into place—a fortress of reason built against the chaos of the unexamined.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From Middle French sillogiser, ultimately from Ancient Greek συλλογίζεσθαι (sullogízesthai).
verb
- To reason by means of syllogisms.e.g.“those disputers[…]make him to infer and say what he never meant, wresting and wyre-drawing his words to a contrarie sense, arguing and silogizing by the Grammarians privilege[…].” — 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 11, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
- To deduce consequences from.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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