reductio ad absurdum
Say it: rih-DUK-tee-oh ad ab-SUR-dum /rɪˌdʌktɪəʊ ad əbˈsəːdəm/ · noun
What “reductio ad absurdum” means
Disproving a claim by showing it leads to an absurd result.
More precisely: Disproving a claim by showing that following it through leads to absurd consequences.
When to use it
In logical arguments or witty disagreements, when following a claim through reveals an absurd consequence that undermines it.
Memory trick
The Latin phrase means 'reduction to the absurd': follow the claim until it breaks.
Similar words
proof by contradiction, logical extreme
Where it comes from
Latin, 'reduction to the absurd'.
Quick check
Someone says more watering is always better. You ask whether keeping plants underwater forever would be best. That's…
a slippery slope or a reductio ad absurdum?
Show the answer
a reductio ad absurdum
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