: an often plausible argument using false or invalid inference
Did you know?
Philosophers are constantly using the word fallacy. For them, a fallacy is reasoning that comes to a conclusion without the evidence to support it. This may have to do with pure logic, with the assumptions that the argument is based on, or with the way words are used, especially if they don't keep exactly the same meaning throughout the argument. There are many classic fallacies that occur again and again through the centuries and everywhere in the world. You may have heard of such fallacies as the "ad hominem" fallacy, the "question-begging" fallacy, the "straw man" fallacy, the "slippery slope" fallacy, the "gambler's" fallacy, or the "red herring" fallacy. Look them up and see if you've ever been guilty of any of them.
The fallacy of their ideas about medicine soon became apparent. the once-common fallacy that girls just weren't any good at math
Recent Examples on the WebThe idea that citizens of the less populous states needed special protection in one house of Congress remains the most enduring fallacy in the American constitutional tradition. Jack Rakove, WSJ, 16 Sep. 2022 Both of Meta’s legal obstacles share a common theme: the relevant-market fallacy. Alex Reinauer, National Review, 14 Sep. 2022 To deny that Queen Elizabeth II was a remarkable ruler is to fabricate a fallacy. Lauren Puckett-pope, ELLE, 8 Sep. 2022 His argument is that there is a logical fallacy in simultaneously holding that a separate women’s category is necessary and assuming that trans women have no advantage until it is proven otherwise. Martin Fritz Huber, Outside Online, 28 June 2022 Ironically, companies who decide to swim against the current by focusing just on brand loyalty often end up falling into another trap, known as the heavy buyer fallacy, where entrepreneurs confuse past buying behavior with growth potential. Abdo Riani, Forbes, 22 Apr. 2022 That fallacy involves treating a handful of examples as exemplary of a whole population. Damon Linker, The Week, 15 Apr. 2022 One of the most significant reasons is the retirement fallacy–the idea that everyone over a certain age should be ready and willing to step out of the workforce. Sheila Callaham, Forbes, 26 Aug. 2022 Pushing through injuries is a common fallacy in our society, probably stemming from the philosophy of most coaches. Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 28 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Latin fallacia, from fallac-, fallax deceitful, from fallere to deceive