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fallacy

fallacy

94 7.2
A wrong belief that comes from bad reasoning
  • noun
  • /ˈfæləsi/
translation icon : falacia
  • Means your argument is based on a fallacy, the false cause fallacy.
  • logical fallacy
  • a common fallacy
  • commit a fallacy

The inverse gambler's fallacy sort of turns that around.

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Examples

  • It is a common fallacy to think that correlation implies causation without further evidence.

  • You don't need a Ph.D. in logic to spot the fallacy in my first sentence.

    Academic text (1991)
  • And the name for this fallacy is called Golden Age thinking.

  • Each one of these represents a fallacy of the modern era.

  • Even at the time, the fallacy of this view should have been apparent:

    Academic text (2008)
  • In the area of ethnic conflict and violence, this fallacy is common.

    Academic text (2008)
  • All right, let's see if you can figure out the fallacy that started a witch hunt with this video.

  • All very convincing but for one obvious fallacy.

  • And that is a clear fallacy that we've already mentioned.

  • We have got to teach kids, you know, critical thinking, how to avoid fallacies, probability statistics.

Synonyms

mistake
vsfallacy
615 1.0

A wrong idea or belief about something

is specifically about wrong ideas caused by unsound reasoning or logic
misunderstanding
vsfallacy
243 1.6

When someone does not understand something correctly and this causes a problem

is about a wrong idea formed from bad logical reasoning rather than simple misreading
delusion
vsfallacy
199 6.7

A strong false belief that someone still has even when it is not true

is a wrong idea due to bad reasoning rather than a firmly held false conviction
misconception
vsfallacy
75 4.2

An idea that is not true because people understand something wrongly

stresses specifically that the wrong idea arises from bad logical steps
falsehood
vsfallacy
46 4.3

A statement that is not true

is a mistaken idea based on flawed logic rather than an intentional untruth
misperception
vsfallacy
12 6.8

A wrong idea about something

relates more to poor logical basis for a wrong idea rather than sensory error
logical fallacy
vsfallacy
9 7.6

A mistake in thinking that makes an argument wrong or weak

is a mistaken idea caused by poor reasoning rather than formal argument form
misjudgment
vsfallacy
  • US
9 3.6

A wrong decision about a person or situation

is about wrong ideas from bad logic rather than poor choices or judgments
false belief
vsfallacy
3 5.6

An idea that is not true because of wrong thinking or misunderstanding

focuses more on error from unsound logic rather than general misunderstanding
misimpression
vsfallacy
3 7.5

A wrong idea someone has about something

highlights that the mistake comes from unsound logical thinking rather than a vague impression
specious argument
vsfallacy
  • Formal
1 8.5

A reason that seems good but is actually wrong

is a wrong idea from bad logic, not just an argument that only seems valid
erroneous belief
vsfallacy
1 6.5

A belief based on false information

points specifically to wrong ideas formed through unsound reasoning rather than mere wrong facts
paralogism
vsfallacy
  • Specialized
9.9

An argument with wrong logic made by mistake

is a wrong idea rooted in bad logic rather than a full argument error
misbelief
vsfallacy
7.0

An idea that is wrong

emphasizes that the wrong idea comes from faulty logical thinking
misprise
vsfallacy
  • Archaic
9.9

A wrong idea about something because a person did not understand it

is a modern term for a wrong idea grounded in faulty reasoning

Antonyms

1.0

Something that can be shown to be true, not an opinion

1.0

A fact that shows how things really are

Compounds

A mistake in thinking that makes an argument wrong or weak

pathetic fallacy
  • Literature
9.3

A way of giving human feelings to weather or nature

How False

delusion
199 6.7
falsehood
46 4.3
fallacy
94 7.2
misconception
75 4.2
to mistake
37 1.0

Surface Forms

fallacy singular
fallacies plural

Etymology

Fallacy comes from the Latin fallere, which means 'to deceive', and it is related to the English word false. So a fallacy is like a trick in thinking, a 'false' or wrong idea that seems true.