misology: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very LowFormal, Literary, Philosophical
Quick answer
What does “misology” mean?
A hatred of reason, argument, or intellectual discourse.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A hatred of reason, argument, or intellectual discourse.
A deep-seated distrust or aversion to logical reasoning, debate, or philosophical inquiry, often stemming from disillusionment with argumentation or a belief that reason cannot lead to truth.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The word is equally rare in both varieties.
Connotations
Carries a strong negative connotation of intellectual surrender or anti-intellectualism in educated discourse.
Frequency
Extremely rare in everyday language; encountered almost exclusively in philosophical, literary, or historical texts.
Grammar
How to Use “misology” in a Sentence
[Subject]'s misologya misology of/against [Object]to lapse into misologyVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “misology” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He began to misologise after years of fruitless debate.
- Philosophers warn against misologising.
American English
- He began to misologize after years of fruitless debate.
- Philosophers warn against misologizing.
adverb
British English
- He rejected the proposal misologically.
- She argued misologically, appealing only to emotion.
American English
- He rejected the proposal misologically.
- She argued misologically, appealing only to emotion.
adjective
British English
- His misological turn was concerning.
- A misological stance undermines academia.
American English
- His misological turn was concerning.
- A misological stance undermines academia.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in philosophical or historical discussions about scepticism, anti-rational movements, or critiques of Enlightenment thinking.
Everyday
Extremely unlikely to be used or understood.
Technical
A technical term in philosophy and intellectual history.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “misology”
Strong
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “misology”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “misology”
- Confusing it with 'misogyny' (hatred of women) due to similar prefix. Using it to mean simply 'a bad argument' rather than a hatred of argument itself.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is an extremely rare, formal word used primarily in philosophical contexts.
A misologist.
No. It refers to a hatred of reason, argument, or discourse as a whole, not a dislike of one particular line of reasoning.
They are closely related. Misology is a more specific, philosophical form of anti-intellectualism focused on rejecting reason and logical discourse.
A hatred of reason, argument, or intellectual discourse.
Misology is usually formal, literary, philosophical in register.
Misology: in British English it is pronounced /mɪˈsɒlədʒi/, and in American English it is pronounced /mɪˈsɑːlədʒi/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[None specific to this word]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: MIS (wrong/bad/hate) + OLOGY (study/reasoning) = hatred of reasoning. Like 'misanthrope' hates people, a 'misologist' hates logic.
Conceptual Metaphor
REASON IS A TOOL/WEAPON (misology is the refusal to use or trust the tool).
Practice
Quiz
What is the core meaning of 'misology'?