enthymeme

[ en-thuh-meem ]

noun

, Logic.

1. a syllogism or other argument in which a premise or the conclusion is unexpressed.

enthymeme

/ ˈɛnθɪˌmiːm /

noun

1. an incomplete syllogism, in which one or more premises are unexpressed as their truth is considered to be self-evident
2. any argument some of whose premises are omitted as obvious

Derived Forms

• ˌenthymeˈmatic, adjective

Other Words From

• en·thy·me·mat·ic [en-th, uh, -mee-, mat, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of enthymeme¹

1580–90; < Latin enthȳmēma < Greek enthȳ́mēma thought, argument, equivalent to enthȳmē-, variant stem of enthȳmeîsthai to ponder ( en- en- ² + -thȳmeîsthai verbal derivative of thȳmós spirit, thought) + -ma noun suffix of result

Word History and Origins

Origin of enthymeme¹

C16: via Latin from Greek enthumēma, from enthumeisthai to infer (literally: to have in the mind), from en- ² + thumos mind

Example Sentences

For Aristotle, logos was the province of something he called an “enthymeme,” which was the equivalent in rhetoric to the syllogism in logic.

From Literature

The enthymeme is like that, only fuzzier.

From Literature

Fiorina responded with her own enthymeme: "I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said."

From Reuters

Strictly speaking an enthymeme is a form of argument in which at least one premise remains unstated.

From Reuters

What you’re saying reminds me of when I went to school, I took a class in logic, like classic Aristotelian logic, and learned about syllogisms and motus ponens and everything, but the most fascinating element to me that we learned about was the enthymeme, which is a syllogism with a missing premise.

From Los Angeles Times