SPECIOUS ARGUMENT

Pronunciation (US): (GB):

Meaning:

An argument that appears good at first view but is really fallacious

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("specious argument" is a kind of...):

argument; statement (a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "specious argument"):

vicious circle (an argument that assumes that which is to be proved)

straw man; strawman (a weak or sham argument set up to be easily refuted)

special pleading (an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence)