Sophistry

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈsɒ.fɪ.stɹi/

Definitions

1. A deceptive practice of using logical reasoning that appears valid but is actually flawed
2. The use of reasoning that is misleading or superficially plausible but actually unsound to deceive others
3. A method of argument that intentionally confuses or tricks by appearing logical when it is flawed

Etymology: Ancient Greece gave us the root, but the word's reputation was shaped by a rivalry. In Greek, "sophistēs" meant a wise man or teacher, and the "sophists" were paid instructors who taught rhetoric and argument to young men. Their name was respectable at first, but philosophers like Plato came to view them with suspicion, since they seemed willing to make a weaker argument look stronger for a fee. The meaning of wisdom slid toward cleverness used to mislead. The word passed into Latin as "sophista" and then into Medieval Latin as "sophistria," before reaching English through Old French. English speakers in the Middle Ages used forms such as "sophestrie" and "sophistry," and the sense of deliberate trickery was already attached to them. The Greek verb "sophizō," meaning to be wise or to make clever, sits behind the whole family. What began as a term for a respected teacher thus ended up naming the deceit that Plato and others associated with such teachers. The English word keeps that suspicion: it describes reasoning that looks sound but is built to fool.

Synonyms: fallacy, deception, subterfuge, misleading argument, specious reasoning

Antonyms: truth, honesty, clarity, fact, genuineness