sophistic

adjective

so·​phis·​tic sä-ˈfi-stik How to pronounce sophistic (audio)
sə-
variants or sophistical
sä-ˈfi-sti-kəl How to pronounce sophistic (audio)
sə-
Synonyms of sophisticnext
1
: of or relating to sophists, sophistry, or the ancient Sophists
sophistic rhetoric
sophistic subtleties
2
: plausible but fallacious
sophistic reasoning
sophistically
sä-ˈfi-sti-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce sophistic (audio)
sə-
adverb

Examples of sophistic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The characters are treated with odd touches of realism and their sophistic arguments are stingingly psychologized. —Charles McNulty, latimes.com, 8 Sep. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sophistic was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near sophistic

sophister

sophistic

sophisticate

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Sophistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sophistic. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sophistic

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sophistic

Nglish: Translation of sophistic for Spanish Speakers

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