sophism

Meaning

1. The school of the sophists in antiquity; their beliefs and method of teaching philosophy and rhetoric.
2. A flawed argument, superficially correct in its reasoning, usually designed to deceive.
3. An intentional fallacy.
4. Sophistic, fallacious reasoning or argumentation.

Synonyms

sophistry

fallacy

quibble

sophistication

deceit

quibbling

deceptiveness

delusion

error in reasoning

evasion

fraud

hoax

imposture

misconception

play on words

sham

stratagem

trickery

astuteness

false syllogism

casuistry

cheating

chicane

chicanery

deception

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: sophim

In summary

From Middle English sophim, from Old French soffime, sofime, sofisme, sophisme, from Latin sophisma (“fallacy, sophism”), from Ancient Greek σόφῐσμᾰ (sóphisma), from σοφίζω (sophízō) + -μα (-ma).