reductio ad absurdum

noun

re·​duc·​tio ad ab·​sur·​dum ri-ˈdək-tē-ˌō-ˌad-əb-ˈsər-dəm How to pronounce reductio ad absurdum (audio)
-ˈdək-sē-ō-,
-shē-,
-ˈzər-
1
: disproof of a proposition by showing an absurdity to which it leads when carried to its logical conclusion
2
: the carrying of something to an absurd extreme

Examples of reductio ad absurdum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Reagan, too, was vilified and feared in his day, seen as the reductio ad absurdum of the culture of the image, an automaton projecting his controllers’ authoritarian impulses. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024 There’s also the reductio ad absurdum whereby criminals could actively operate in concert with account holders in order to pull off persistent scams knowing full well that some sort of other (meaning banks) will be on the hook. John Tamny, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024 The plot’s endless recursions are a reductio ad absurdum of the quest for authorial authenticity, particularly acute in the context of African literature. Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023 Easter Island is to a great extent a reductio ad absurdum of pre-modern man and gifted with a clement regime. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 29 Mar. 2010 The weakness of reductio ad absurdum arguments is that sometimes the opponent just accepts the absurd argument, too. Dominic Pino, National Review, 3 Mar. 2022 Ross provides a reductio ad absurdum for a quiet digital-age truth: A sprinkling of coveted intellectual property can allow a shrewd company to punch well above its weight. Washington Post, 30 July 2021 Some might see Trader Joe’s as the reductio ad absurdum of this movement’s political demands. Daniel Henninger, WSJ, 16 Dec. 2020 The reductio ad absurdum of monument revisionism is thus in sight. Stanley Kurtz, National Review, 17 Sep. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin, literally, reduction to the absurd

First Known Use

1741, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reductio ad absurdum was in 1741

Dictionary Entries Near reductio ad absurdum

Cite this Entry

“Reductio ad absurdum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reductio%20ad%20absurdum. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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