Apodictic

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /apəʊˈdɪktɪk/, /apəʊˈdaɪktɪk/

Alternative forms

• apodeictic

Origin

From the Latin apodīcticus ("proving clearly”, “demonstrative"), from the Ancient Greek ἀποδεικτικός (apodeiktikos, "affording proof”, “demonstrative"), from ἀποδείκνυμι (apodeiknumi, "I demonstrate").

Full definition of apodictic

Adjective

1. Incontrovertible; demonstrably true or certain.
• 1902, William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, Folio Society 2008, p. 284:No religion has ever yet owed its prevalence to ‘apodictic certainty’.
2. A style of argument, in which a person presents their reasoning as categorically true, even if it is not necessarily so.Don't be so apodictic! You haven't considered several facets of the question.
3. (theology, Biblical studies) absolute and without explanation, as in a command from God like "Thou shalt not kill!"

Antonyms

• problematic
• assertorical

Derived terms

• apodict
• apodictical
• apodictically
• apodictism