specious argument
1
8.5
- noun
- /ˈspiːʃəs ˈɑːrɡjʊmənt/
- Formal
:
argumento falaz
- I won't even address the specious argument implied in the first two-thirds of the article, that those who want to restore freer days somehow would condone reinstituting slavery.
Examples
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The logical fallacy of equating unliving, base matter with a baby is the source of your specious argument.
Blog text (3) -
I think that is phrased entirely incorrectly, and is a specious argument.
Blog text (9) -
The writers also make the specious argument that there is a practical advantage provided by privilege theory:
Blog text (9) -
These specious arguments have been exposed here and elsewhere.
Blog text (34) -
Why is "poverty causes terrorism" a specious argument?
Blog text (31) -
And I agree with Daz that many conservative Christians would take refuge in a specious argument.
Blog text (4) -
A Republican congresswoman from New York thinks "it's a specious argument" that affiliating with a political party diminishes officer professionalism.
Academic text (2001) -
And finally, if the ACA is irrelevant—which is a specious argument—then explain their masthead statement.
Blog text (13) -
Okay, so leaving aside the specious argument that belief in no religion is itself a religion, there is no place for religious activities in publicly funded schools because it implies the school's endorsement of (albeit, generic) belief.
Blog text (32) -
The politician made a specious argument to justify his controversial decision, but experts disagreed with his claims.
Synonyms
94
7.2
A wrong belief that comes from bad reasoning
9
7.6
A mistake in thinking that makes an argument wrong or weak
7
9.8
Use of clever but false arguments to trick people
1
9.9
A clever but wrong argument used to trick people
An argument that acts doubtful but ignores real evidence
Antonyms
1
3.9
A way of thinking or arguing that uses good reasons and evidence to show something is true
How Deceptive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'specious' means 'seemingly correct but actually deceptive', so when combined with 'argument' the phrase directly denotes an argument that appears valid but is misleading. This is a straightforward adjective+noun composition following normal semantic rules, making the meaning recoverable for learners who know both constituents.
Etymology
Specious argument comes from a simple image: specious means 'looks attractive' and argument is the reason someone gives. So, a specious argument is one that 'seems strong' at first but is actually wrong or misleading.