sophistry

Meaning

1. The actions or arguments of a sophist.
2. Plausible yet fallacious argumentations or reasoning.
3. An argument that seems plausible, but is fallacious or misleading, especially one devised deliberately to be so; a sophism.

Synonyms

sophism

casuistry

sophistication

quibbling

chicanery

evasion

error in reasoning

fallacy

fraud

hair-splitting

hoax

imposture

play on words

quibble

sham

sophistic

stratagem

trickery

biased argument

biassed argument

specious argument

astuteness

false syllogism

cheating

chicane

deceit

deception

deceptiveness

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈsɒ.fɪ.stɹi/

Etymology

From Middle English safistre, soffistre, sofystry, sophestrie, sophestry, sophestrye, sophistre, sophistri, sophistrie, sophistry, sophistrye, sophystrye, from Old French sofisterie, sophistrie and Medieval Latin sophistria, Anglo-Latin sophestria, from Latin sophista, from Ancient Greek σοφιστής (sophistḗs, “wise man”), from σοφίζω (sophízō, “I am wise”), from σοφός (sophós, “wise”), equivalent to sophist + -ry.