enthymeme: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2+Academic, Technical
Quick answer
What does “enthymeme” mean?
An argument in which a premise or conclusion is left unstated, understood implicitly by the audience.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An argument in which a premise or conclusion is left unstated, understood implicitly by the audience.
In classical rhetoric, an argument based on a general truth, not absolute logic; in modern logic, an informal syllogism with a missing or assumed proposition.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or spelling differences. Usage is identical in academic rhetorical and logical discourse.
Connotations
Neutral technical term in both dialects.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general language; used almost exclusively in university-level philosophy, rhetoric, logic, and some literary criticism courses.
Grammar
How to Use “enthymeme” in a Sentence
The speaker used an enthymeme [ARGUMENT]Her argument was an enthymeme, relying on [ASSUMPTION]to construct/present an enthymemeVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “enthymeme” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The enthymematic structure of the speech was effective.
American English
- The advertisement's enthymematic appeal relied on cultural norms.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in philosophy, rhetoric, communications, and logic departments to analyse arguments.
Everyday
Not used.
Technical
Key term in rhetorical theory and informal logic.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “enthymeme”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “enthymeme”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “enthymeme”
- Misspelling: 'enthymeme', 'enthymeme'.
- Pronouncing the 'th' as /θ/ followed by a strong /aɪ/ (like 'thigh') – the second syllable is weak (/ɪ/ or /ə/).
- Using it to mean any clever or concise argument, losing the specific logical/rhetorical meaning.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not inherently. It is a rhetorical structure. It becomes fallacious only if the unstated premise is false or unjustified, but it can be a perfectly sound and persuasive form of reasoning.
An enthymeme is the entire argument structure (like a syllogism) that contains an implied premise (or conclusion). The implied premise is the specific unstated proposition within the enthymeme.
'Socrates is mortal because he is a man.' The full syllogism would be: All men are mortal (unstated major premise). Socrates is a man (stated minor premise). Therefore, Socrates is mortal (stated conclusion).
Primarily in Rhetoric and Composition, Philosophy (especially logic), Communications Studies, and Classical Studies.
Enthymeme is usually academic, technical in register.
Enthymeme: in British English it is pronounced /ˈɛnθɪmiːm/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈɛnθəmiːm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'IN-THE-MEANING' -> The meaning is IN the listener's mind, not fully stated in the argument.
Conceptual Metaphor
ARGUMENT IS A JOURNEY (with a missing step); COMMUNICATION IS A BRIDGE (with a gap the listener must cross).
Practice
Quiz
What is the defining characteristic of an enthymeme?