Standard Lemma guide

syllogism

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • UK: /ˈsɪlədʒɪz(ə)m/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An argument whose conclusion is supported by two premises, of which one contains the term that is the predicate of the conclusion, and the other contains the term that is the subject of the conclusion; common to both premises is a term that is excluded from the conclusion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, logic, mathematics, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A trick, artifice; an extremely subtle, sophisticated, or deceptive argument; a sophism.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

deductive reasoning in which a conclusion is derived from two premises

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: deduction, deductive reasoning, synthesis

History

Etymology

From Old French silogisme (“syllogism”), from Latin syllogismus, from Ancient Greek συλλογισμός (sullogismós, “inference, conclusion”). Doublet of syllogismus.

Across languages

Translations

36 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: սիլլոգիզմ (sillogizm) — inference from two premises
  • Armenian: հետեւաբանություն (hetewabanutʻyun) — inference from two premises
  • Bulgarian: силогизъм (silogizǎm) — inference from two premises
  • Catalan: sil·logisme — inference from two premises
  • Chinese Mandarin: 直言三段論 /直言三段论 (zhíyánsānduànlùn) — inference from two premises
  • Czech: sylogismus — inference from two premises
  • Danish: syllogisme — inference from two premises
  • Dutch: syllogisme — inference from two premises
  • Dutch: sluitrede — inference from two premises
  • Finnish: syllogismi — inference from two premises
  • French: syllogisme — inference from two premises
  • German: Syllogismus — inference from two premises
  • Greek: συλλογισμός (syllogismós) — inference from two premises
  • Ancient Greek: συλλογισμός (sullogismós) — inference from two premises
  • Hebrew: סילוגיזם (silogizm) — inference from two premises
  • Hebrew: היקש (hekésh) — inference from two premises
  • Hindi: न्यायवाक्य (nyāyvākya) — inference from two premises
  • Hungarian: szillogizmus — inference from two premises
  • Icelandic: rökhenda — inference from two premises
  • Ido: silogismo — inference from two premises
  • Interlingua: syllogismo — inference from two premises
  • Irish: siollóg — inference from two premises
  • Italian: sillogismo — inference from two premises
  • Japanese: 三段論法 (sandanronpō) — inference from two premises
  • Korean: 삼단논법 (samdannonbeop) — inference from two premises
  • Occitan: sillogisme — inference from two premises
  • Polish: sylogizm — inference from two premises
  • Portuguese: silogismo — inference from two premises
  • Romanian: silogism — inference from two premises
  • Russian: силлоги́зм (sillogízm) — inference from two premises
  • Scottish Gaelic: argainn-iomlan — inference from two premises
  • Slovak: sylogizmus — inference from two premises
  • Spanish: silogismo — inference from two premises
  • Swedish: syllogism — inference from two premises
  • Swedish: slutledning — inference from two premises
  • Tagalog: sangmatwiran — inference from two premises