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deductive reasoning

deductive reasoning

6 5.9
To use general rules to reach a specific conclusion about one case
  • noun
  • /dɪˈdʌktɪv ˈrizənɪŋ/
translation icon : razonamiento deductivo
  • In mathematics, deductive reasoning helps students derive specific formulas from general theorems.
  • inductive and deductive reasoning
  • deductive reasoning and critical thinking

And I think it's so important to learn the deductive reasoning skills.

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Examples

  • In unstructured or complex situations, the use of circumstantial evidence and deductive reasoning may be necessary.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Because if we're really using our noggins and our deductive reasoning, what we need to do is--

  • And I think it's so important to learn the deductive reasoning skills.

  • Nice bit of deductive reasoning.

  • It's based on deductive reasoning from first principles.

  • Not a good deductive reasoning pattern, right?

  • Just a little deductive reasoning based on your son's answer to my question in my class.

  • Well, it teaches us simple deductive reasoning.

  • What ties them together is the use of deductive reasoning to find the answers to questions.

  • I had spent the night thinking, or, as we say in the biz, engaged in deductive reasoning.

    Fiction book (1997)

Synonyms

deduction
vsdeductive reasoning
31 4.1

A conclusion reached by using reasoning and evidence

focuses on applying general rules to specific cases rather than general inference
synthesis
vsdeductive reasoning
  • Specialized
2 7.4

A way of thinking that moves from general rules to specific cases

is the same general-to-particular reasoning described more explicitly

Surface Forms

Morphology

deductive + reasoning

The meaning is directly compositional: 'deductive' specifies the type of reasoning as moving from general principles to particular conclusions, and 'reasoning' is the act of logical thinking. This composition matches common cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent words would be able to infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Deductive reasoning comes from the simple idea of using a general rule to decide about one case: deductive means starting from a general rule and reasoning means the thinking that follows. Imagine the rule 'All birds have wings' and you meet a robin, so you know it has wings. That is why the phrase means 'to move from the general to the particular'.