enthymeme

Examples

• All

• An enthymeme is an argument where one premise is implied rather than stated outright.

• These forty-one mentions of the client's ability to improve his or her health build an implied enthymeme within the company's brochures; BCBS cares about the health of its clients.

  Academic text (2014)

• An enthymeme, however, leaves out one of the premises, but it is implied:

  Academic text (1997)

• If that is the assumption, your enthymeme is skipping an important step to which I should like to draw your attention.

  Blog text (27)

• Both the voter and the candidate seem to be making arguments that are enthymemes.

  Academic text (2007)

• But clearly, this enthymeme could not be construed by purely formal means; we have to know about the postman's habitual signal in order to posit the unexpressed premise.

  Academic text (1995)

• Rather, believers were persuaded by a complex combination of the moral authority of bishops and councils, the examples and enthymemes they offered, and perhaps even a general disposition to attribute divine qualities to one whom they called their Savior.

  Academic text (1991)

• Of course, the persuasive force of this enthymeme depends, in turn, on a number of additional arguments—for example, that one should believe that Jesus did in fact live peaceably; that one should emulate Jesus; and that historical changes since the time of Jesus do not necessitate a revision of this argument.

  Academic text (1991)

• In her speech, she used an enthymeme to suggest that everyone should vote by leaving out the assumption that voting leads to change.

• The author effectively employed an enthymeme by suggesting that if you care about the environment, you will reduce your waste.

Synonyms

R

rhetorical device

vsenthymeme

2 6.6

A way of using language to persuade or add emphasis

is a specific argumentative form leaving one premise unstated

Surface Forms

Etymology