Fallacy

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /ˈfælÉ™si/

Origin

From Middle English, from Old French fallace, from Latin fallacia ("deception, deceit"), from fallax ("deceptive, deceitful"), from fallere ("to deceive").

Full definition of fallacy

Noun

1. Deceptive or false appearance; deceitfulness; that which misleads the eye or the mind; deception.
2. (logic) An argument, or apparent argument, which professes to be decisive of the matter at issue, while in reality it is not. A specious argument.

Derived terms

• logical fallacy
• formal fallacy
• informal fallacy

Related terms

• fail
• fallacious
• fallibilist
• fallibilism
• fallibility
• fallible