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30 terms with meanings and examples. Tick each one you know; cover the meaning column to test yourself.
Paginepagineapp.com| ✓ | Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| argument noun | a set of statements in which one or more premises are offered to support a conclusion | The argument’s premises do not fully support its conclusion. | |
| premise noun | a statement offered as evidence for a conclusion | The first premise states that sales fell after the price rise. | |
| conclusion noun | the main claim an argument tries to prove | Look for words like “therefore” to find the conclusion. | |
| assumption noun | an unstated premise the argument relies on | The argument assumes that the survey was representative. | |
| necessary assumption noun | a premise that must be true for the argument to work | If negating the answer destroys the argument, it is a necessary assumption. | |
| sufficient assumption noun | a premise that, if added, guarantees the conclusion | A sufficient assumption makes the conclusion follow logically. | |
| inference noun | a statement that must be true based on the given information | Choose the inference best supported by the passage. | |
| flaw noun | an error in reasoning that weakens an argument | The flaw is confusing correlation with causation. | |
| strengthen verb | to make a conclusion more likely to be true | New evidence that rules out other causes strengthens the argument. | |
| weaken verb | to make a conclusion less likely to be true | An alternative explanation weakens the argument. | |
| parallel reasoning noun | an argument with the same logical structure as another | The parallel reasoning answer matched the original’s structure exactly. | |
| principle noun | a general rule that can justify a specific judgment | Which principle best supports the manager’s decision? | |
| paradox noun | an apparent contradiction that needs explaining | Resolve the paradox by finding a fact that makes both claims true. | |
| evaluate verb | to identify information that would help judge an argument | To evaluate the plan, we would need to know its cost. | |
| counterexample noun | a case that shows a general claim is false | One black swan is a counterexample to “all swans are white.” | |
| causal claim noun | a claim that one thing causes another | A causal claim needs more than two events happening together. | |
| conditional statement noun | an if–then statement | “If it rains, the game is cancelled” is a conditional statement. | |
| contrapositive noun | the logically equivalent form of a conditional, reversing and negating both parts | The contrapositive of “if A then B” is “if not B then not A.” | |
| necessary condition noun | something required for an outcome, but not enough by itself | Oxygen is a necessary condition for fire. | |
| sufficient condition noun | something that guarantees an outcome | Being a square is a sufficient condition for being a rectangle. | |
| ad hominem noun | attacking the person rather than the argument | Calling the senator “a dropout” is an ad hominem attack. | |
| circular reasoning noun | assuming in the premises what the conclusion claims | “He is honest because he says he never lies” is circular reasoning. | |
| straw man noun | misrepresenting an opponent’s position to make it easier to attack | Saying she wants “no rules at all” is a straw man of her proposal. | |
| equivocation noun | shifting the meaning of a key word within an argument | The argument equivocates on “free,” meaning both “no cost” and “unrestricted.” | |
| false dichotomy noun | presenting two options as the only ones when others exist | “Ban cars or accept pollution” is a false dichotomy. | |
| hasty generalization noun | drawing a broad conclusion from too few examples | Judging a city by one rainy day is a hasty generalization. | |
| appeal to authority noun | relying on an authority outside their expertise | A famous actor’s view on vaccines is an inappropriate appeal to authority. | |
| composition fallacy noun | assuming what is true of the parts is true of the whole | Every player is excellent, so the team must be excellent? That is a composition fallacy. | |
| sampling bias noun | drawing conclusions from a sample that does not represent the group | Surveying only gym members about exercise habits creates sampling bias. | |
| main point noun | the overall conclusion an argument or passage supports | The main point is usually not the first sentence. |