sophistic

adjective

variants or sophistical
Definition of sophisticnext
as in specious

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of sophistic What is sophistic is therefore to let the movement from sentience to moral status and then from moral status to legal rights happen without making visible the additional premises that are necessary at each stage. — Hamilton Mann, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 The characters are treated with odd touches of realism and their sophistic arguments are stingingly psychologized. — Charles McNulty, latimes.com, 8 Sep. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sophistic
  1. specious
  2. misleading
  3. irrational
  4. illogical
  5. fallacious
  6. nonrational
  7. unreasonable
  8. unreasoning
Adjective
  • In the world of wellness and health content, few areas of our anatomy attract more interest lately — and specious claims — than the gut microbiome.
    — Will Stone, NPR, 22 June 2026
  • In fairness, concluding no one cares is a specious take, at best, based on the evidence Tuesday.
    — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 10 June 2026
Definition of specious
Adjective
  • Blanche is also confronting growing distrust of the Justice Department among judges, who in multiple cases have accused government lawyers of withholding information or misleading courts.
    — Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Both made misleading statements when questioned by authorities, according to the lawsuit.
    — Chase Jordan August 27, Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of misleading
Adjective
  • But the question remained unsolved for polygons with irrational angles.
    — Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2026
  • As a result, the argument goes, today's spending is irrational because the hardware would need to be replaced too frequently to generate an attractive return on investment, known as ROI.
    — , CNBC, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of irrational
Adjective
  • One day, during my visit, Cole used a step stool to access a small cubbyhole in a high corner of a bedroom wall—a sort of illogical nook that seemed preordained to house some private, upsetting object.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Lambasting Lambert for the performance is illogical, but so is placing so much importance on one player.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of illogical
Adjective
  • Defenders of Israel believe that designation is fallacious and dangerous.
    — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026
  • There is a widespread but fallacious perception that India's tariffs are inordinately high.
    — Mohan Kumar, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Aug. 2025
Definition of fallacious
Adjective
  • Mid-century collective behavior theories considered social movements to be nonrational, spontaneous events occurring during moments of social and cultural breakdown.
    — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of nonrational
Adjective
  • Your expectations of your stepsons aren’t unreasonable at all.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • If the prosecution’s version of the evidence is reasonable and the defense’s is unreasonable, then that is not reasonable doubt.
    — Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of unreasonable
Adjective
  • But in each event—in the living act, the undoubted deed—there, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the mouldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
  • Roosevelt surely understood that nameless, unreasoning, unjustified fear cannot be eradicated.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 9 June 2026
Definition of unreasoning

Browse Nearby Words

sophisms
sophistic
sophisticate
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Cite this Entry

“Sophistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sophistic. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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