Spanish Conversation · Level 107
60 words
Spanish word
sofisma
Pronunciation
IPA/soˈfisma/
Meaning
- masculine nounsophism
Example
No uses un sofisma para ganar la discusión.
Don't use a sophism to win the discussion.
More examples
Durante la entrevista, el presentador desenmascaró un sofisma en la respuesta del invitado.
During the interview, the host unmasked a sophism in the guest's response.
Core concept
Plausible-sounding argument that fails to prove its conclusion.
Common phrases
desenmascarar un sofisma
unmask a sophism
Similar words
mentira: Intentional untrue assertion made to mislead or gain advantage.
engaño: Practice of deceiving others by concealing, altering, or inventing facts.
falacia: Invalid reasoning pattern that makes a wrong argument seem persuasive.
Definition in Spanish
Argumento que parece lógico o persuasivo pero contiene una falacia y no demuestra realmente la conclusión.
Word origin
Spanish sofisma comes from Greek sophisma via Latin sophisma, from sophos 'wise', originally meaning a clever device and later shifting to denote a specious or fallacious argument.
Usage tips
- In conversation, asking '¿en qué te basas?' or '¿qué pruebas tienes?' requests concrete grounds and often exposes a sofisma.