Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
enthymeme
noun
/ˈɛnθɪˌmiːm/
Definition
A syllogism in which one of the premises is implicit.
Examples
- In the argument ‘All mammals are warm-blooded, so whales are warm-blooded’, the unstated premise is ‘Whales are mammals.’
- When someone says, ‘If you’re a parent, you must be tired,’ they are assuming that all parents experience fatigue without explicitly stating it.
Meaning
An enthymeme is a logical argument that is often shortened by leaving out one of the premises or the conclusion, assuming that the audience will fill in the missing part on their own.
Synonyms
- Implied argument
- Implied conclusion
