English words and phrases

audire alteram partem [Lat.].

unattested, unauthenticated, unsupported by evidence; supposititious.

allowance, grains of allowance, consideration, extenuating circumstances; mitigation.

condition, proviso, prerequisite, contingency, stipulation, provision, specification, sine qua non [Lat.]; catch, string, strings attached; exemption; exception, escape clause, salvo, saving clause; discount &c 813; restriction; fine print.

V. qualify, limit, modify, leaven, give a color to, introduce new conditions, narrow, temper.

waffle, quibble, hem and haw (be uncertain) 475; equivocate (sophistry) 477.

depend, depend on, be contingent on (effect) 154.

allow for, make allowance for; admit exceptions, take into account; modulate.

moderate, temper, season, leaven.

take exception.

hypothetical &c (supposed) 514; contingent &c (uncertain) 475.

approximately &c 197, 17; in a limited degree (smallness) 32; somewhat, sort of, something like that, to a certain extent, to a degree, in a sense, so to speak.

with grains of allowance, cum grano salis [Lat.], with a grain of salt; exceptis excipiendis [Lat.]; wind and weather permitting; if possible &c 470.

subject to, conditioned upon; with this proviso &c n..

Degrees of Evidence

practicability, feasibility; practicableness &c adj.. contingency, chance &c 156.

render possible &c adj.; put in the way of.

practicable, feasible, performable, achievable; within reach, within measurable distance; accessible, superable^†, surmountable; attainable, obtainable; contingent &c (doubtful) 475, (effect) 154.

barely possible, marginally possible, just possible; possible but improbably, (improbable) 473; theoretically possible.

Adv. possibly, by possibility; perhaps, perchance, peradventure; maybe, may be, haply, mayhap.

if possible, wind and weather permitting, God willing, Deo volente [Lat.], D.V.; as luck may have it.

Taylor]; anything is possible; in theory possible, but in practise unlikely.

attempt impossibilities; square the circle, wash a blackamoor white; skin a flint; make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, make bricks without straw; have nothing to go upon; weave a rope of sand, build castles in the air, prendre la lune avec les dents [Fr.], extract sunbeams from cucumbers, set the Thames on fire, milk a he-goat into a sieve, catch a weasel asleep, rompre l'anguille au genou [Fr.], be in two places at once.

impracticable unachievable; unfeasible, infeasible; insuperable; unsurmountable^†, insurmountable; unattainable, unobtainable; out of reach, out of the question; not to be had, not to be thought of; beyond control; desperate &c (hopeless) 859; incompatible &c 24; inaccessible, uncomeatable^†, impassable, impervious, innavigable^†, inextricable; self-contradictory.

out of one's power, beyond one's power, beyond one's depth, beyond one's reach, beyond one's grasp; too much for; ultra crepidam [Lat.].

Phr. the grapes are sour; non possumus [Lat.]; non nostrum tantas componere lites [Lat.] [Vergil]; look for a needle in a haystack, chercher une aiguille dans une botte de foin [Fr.]; il a le mer +a boire^†.
472. Probability -- N. probability, likelihood; credibleness^†; likeliness &c adj.; vraisemblance [Fr.], verisimilitude, plausibility; color, semblance, show of; presumption; presumptive evidence, circumstantial evidence; credibility.

reasonable chance, fair chance, good chance, favorable chance, reasonable prospect, fair prospect, good prospect, favorable prospect; prospect, wellgrounded hope; chance &c 156.

think likely, dare say, flatter oneself; expect &c 507; count upon &c (believe) 484.

plausible, specious, ostensible, colorable, ben trovato [It], well-founded, reasonable, credible, easy of belief, presumable, presumptive, apparent.

rare &c (infrequent) 137; unheard of, inconceivable; unimaginable, inimaginable^†; incredible &c 485; more than doubtful; strange, bizarre (uncomformable) 83.

gospel, scripture, church, pope, court of final appeal; res judicata [Lat.], ultimatum positiveness; dogmatism, dogmatist, dogmatizer; doctrinaire, bigot, opinionist^†, Sir Oracle; ipse dixit [Lat.].

fact; positive fact, matter of fact; fait accompli [Fr.].

V. be certain &c adj.; stand to reason.

render certain &c adj.; insure, ensure, assure; clinch, make sure; determine, decide, set at rest, make assurance double sure [Macbeth]; know &c (believe) 484.

dogmatize, lay down the law.

Adj. certain, sure, assured &c v.; solid, well-founded.

unqualified, absolute, positive, determinate, definite, clear, unequivocal, categorical, unmistakable, decisive, decided, ascertained.

inevitable, unavoidable, avoidless^†; ineluctable.

unerring, infallible; unchangeable &c 150; to be depended on, trustworthy, reliable, bound.

unimpeachable, undeniable, unquestionable; indisputable, incontestable, incontrovertible, indubitable; irrefutable &c (proven) 478; conclusive, without power of appeal.

indubious^†; without doubt, beyond a doubt, without a shade or shadow of doubt, without question, beyond question; past dispute; clear as day; beyond all question, beyond all dispute; undoubted, uncontested, unquestioned, undisputed; questionless^†, doubtless.

authoritative, authentic, official.

sure as fate, sure as death and taxes, sure as a gun.

evident, self-evident, axiomatic; clear, clear as day, clear as the sun at noonday.

Adv. certainly &c adj.; for certain, certes [Lat.], sure, no doubt, doubtless, and no mistake, flagrante delicto [Lat.], sure enough, to be sure, of course, as a matter of course, a coup sur, to a certainty; in truth &c (truly) 494; at any rate, at all events; without fail; coute que coute [Fr.], coute qu'il coute [Fr.]; whatever may happen, if the worst come to the worst; come what may, happen what may, come what will; sink or swim; rain or shine.

Phr. cela va sans dire [Fr.]; there is no question, no question, not a shadow of doubt, there is not a shadow of doubt; the die is cast &c (necessity) 601; facts are stubborn things [Smollett].
475. Uncertainty -- N. uncertainty, incertitude, doubt; doubtfulness &c adj.; dubiety, dubitation^†, dubitancy^†, dubitousness^†.

hesitation, suspense; perplexity, embarrassment, dilemma, bewilderment; timidity &c (fear) 860; vacillation &c 605; diaporesis^†, indetermination.

vagueness &c adj.; haze, fog; obscurity &c (darkness) 421; ambiguity &c (double meaning) 520; contingency, dependence, dependency, double contingency, possibility upon a possibility; open question &c (question) 461; onus probandi [Lat.]; blind bargain, pig in a poke, leap in the dark, something or other; needle in a haystack, needle in a bottle of hay; roving commission.

precariousness &c adj.; fallibility.

lose the clue, lose the clew, scent; miss one's way.

not know what to make of &c (unintelligibility) 519, not know which way to turn, not know whether one stands on one s head or one's heels; float in a sea of doubt, hesitate, flounder; lose oneself, lose one's head; muddle one's brains.

render uncertain &c adj.; put out, pose, puzzle, perplex, embarrass; confuse, confound; bewilder, bother, molder, addle the wits, throw off the scent, ambiguas in vulgus spargere voces [Lat.]; keep in suspense.

doubt &c (disbelieve) 485; hang in the balance, tremble in the balance; depend.

Adj. uncertain; casual; random &c (aimless) 621; changeable &c 149.

doubtful, dubious; indecisive; unsettled, undecided, undetermined; in suspense, open to discussion; controvertible; in question &c (inquiry) 461.

vague; indeterminate, indefinite; ambiguous, equivocal; undefined, undefinable; confused &c (indistinct) 447; mystic, oracular; dazed.

perplexing &c v.; enigmatic, paradoxical, apocryphal, problematical, hypothetical; experimental &c 463.

unpredictable, unforeseeable (unknowable) 519.

fallible, questionable, precarious, slippery, ticklish, debatable, disputable; unreliable, untrustworthy.

contingent, contingent on, dependent on; subject to; dependent on circumstances; occasional; provisional.

unauthentic, unauthenticated, unauthoritative; unascertained, unconfirmed; undemonstrated; untold, uncounted.

in a state of uncertainty, in a cloud, in a maze; bushed, off the track; ignorant, &c 491; afraid to say; out of one's reckoning, astray, adrift; at sea, at fault, at a loss, at one's wit's end, at a nonplus; puzzled &c v.; lost, abroad, d_esorient_e; distracted, distraught.

Adv. pendente lite [Lat.]; sub spe rati [Lat.].

Phr. Heaven knows; who can tell? who shall decide when doctors disagree? ambiguas in vulgum spargere voces [Lat.].
SECTION IV.

REASONING PROCESSES

477} reasoning ratiocination rationalism; dialectics, induction, generalization.

discussion, comment; ventilation; inquiry &c 461.

argumentation, controversy, debate; polemics, wrangling; contention &c 720; logomachy^†; disputation, disceptation^†; paper war.

art of reasoning, logic.

process of reasoning, train of reasoning, chain of reasoning; deduction, induction, abduction; synthesis, analysis.

argument; case, plaidoyer^†, opening; lemma, proposition, terms, premises, postulate, data, starting point, principle; inference &c (judgment) 480.

prosyllogism^†, syllogism; enthymeme^†, sorites^†, dilemma, perilepsis^†, a priori reasoning, reductio ad absurdum, horns of a dilemma, argumentum ad hominem [Lat.], comprehensive argument; empirema^†, epagoge^†.

logical sequence; good case; correct just reasoning, sound reasoning, valid reasoning, cogent reasoning, logical reasoning, forcible reasoning, persuasive reasoning, persuasory reasoning^†, consectary reasoning^†, conclusive &c 478; subtle reasoning; force of argument, strong point, strong argument, persuasive argument.

arguments, reasons, pros and cons.

V. reason, argue, discuss, debate, dispute, wrangle^†, argufy^†, bandy words, bandy arguments; chop logic; hold an argument, carry on an argument; controvert &c (deny) 536; canvass; comment upon, moralize upon; spiritualize; consider &c (examine) 461.

open a discussion, open a case; try conclusions; join issue, be at issue; moot; come to the point; stir a question, agitate a question, ventilate a question, torture a question; take up a side, take up a case.

contend, take one's stand upon, insist, lay stress on; infer &c 480.

follow from &c (demonstration) 478.

debatable, controvertible.

logical; relevant &c 23.

Adv. for, because, hence, whence, seeing that, since, sith^†, then thence so; for that reason, for this reason, for which reason; for as, inasmuch as; whereas, ex concesso [Lat.], considering, in consideration of; therefore, wherefore; consequently, ergo, thus, accordingly; a fortiori.

in conclusion, in fine; finally, after all, au bout du compt [Fr.], on the whole, taking one thing with another.

sophistry, paralogy^†, perversion, casuistry, jesuitry, equivocation, evasion; chicane, chicanery; quiddet^†, quiddity; mystification; special pleading; speciousness &c adj.; nonsense &c 497; word sense, tongue sense.

false reasoning, vicious reasoning, circular reasoning; petitio principii [Lat.], ignoratio elenchi [Lat.]; post hoc ergo propter hoc [Lat.]; non sequitur, ignotum per ignotius [Lat.].

misjudgment &c 481; false teaching &c 538.

sophism, solecism, paralogism^†; quibble, quirk, elenchus^†, elench^†, fallacy, quodlibet, subterfuge, subtlety, quillet^†; inconsistency, antilogy^†; a delusion, a mockery, and a snare [Denman]; claptrap, cant, mere words; lame and impotent conclusion [Othello].

meshes of sophistry, cobwebs of sophistry; flaw in an argument; weak point, bad case.

overrefinement^†; hairsplitting &c v..

V. judge intuitively, judge by intuition; hazard a proposition, hazard a guess, talk at random.

reason ill, falsely &c adj.; misjudge &c 481; paralogize^†.

take on faith, take as a given; assume (supposition) 514.

pervert, quibble; equivocate, mystify, evade, elude; gloss over, varnish; misteach &c 538 [Obs.]; mislead &c (error) 495; cavil, refine, subtilize^†, split hairs; misrepresent &c (lie) 544.

beg the question, reason in a circle, reason in circles, assume the conclusion.

cut blocks with a razor, beat about the bush, play fast and loose, play fast and loose with the facts, blow hot and cold, prove that black is white and white black, travel out of the record, parler a tort et a travers [Fr.], put oneself out of court, not have a leg to stand on.

judge hastily, shoot from the hip, jump to conclusions (misjudgment) 481.

Adj. intuitive, instinctive, impulsive; independent of reason, anterior to reason; gratuitous, hazarded; unconnected.

unreasonable, illogical, false, unsound, invalid; unwarranted, not following; inconsequent, inconsequential; inconsistent; absonous^†, absonant^†; unscientific; untenable, inconclusive, incorrect; fallacious, fallible; groundless, unproved; non sequitur [Lat.], it does not follow.

deceptive, sophistical, jesuitical; illusive, illusory; specious, hollow, plausible, ad captandum [Lat.], evasive; irrelevant &c 10.

weak, feeble, poor, flimsy, loose, vague.

irrational; nonsensical &c (absurd) 497.

foolish &c (imbecile) 499; frivolous, pettifogging, quibbling; finespun^†, overrefined^†.

at the end of one's tether, au bout de son latin.

Adv. intuitively &c adj.; by intuition; illogically &c adj..

Phr. non constat [Lat.]; that goes for nothing.
478. Demonstration -- N. {ant.

479} demonstration, proof, rigorous proof; conclusiveness &c adj.; apodeixis^†, apodixis^†, probation, comprobation^†.

logic of facts &c (evidence) 467; experimentum crucis &c (test) 463 [Lat.]; argument &c 476; rigorous establishment, absolute establishment.

conviction, cogency, (persuasion) 484.

make out, make out a case; prove one's point, have the best of the argument; draw a conclusion &c (judge) 480.

follow, follow of course, follow as a matter of course, follow necessarily; stand to reason; hold good, hold water.

convince, persuade (belief) 484.

categorical, decisive, crucial.

demonstrated &c v.; proven; unconfuted^†, unanswered, unrefuted^†; evident &c 474.

deducible, consequential, consectary^†, inferential, following.

not leave a leg to stand on, cut the ground from under one's feet.

be confuted &c; fail; expose one's weak point, show one's weak point.

counter evidence &c 468.

contravene (counter evidence) 468.

condemned on one's own showing, condemned out of one's own mouth.

Phr. the argument falls to the ground, cadit quaestio [Lat.], it does not hold water, suo sibi gladio hunc jugulo [Terence]; his argument was demolished by new evidence.
SECTION V.

RESULTS OF REASONING

estimation, valuation, appreciation, judication^†; dijudication^†, adjudication; arbitrament, arbitrement^†, arbitration; assessment, ponderation^†; valorization.

award, estimate; review, criticism, critique, notice, report.

decision, determination, judgment, finding, verdict, sentence, decree; findings of fact; findings of law; res judicata [Lat.].

plebiscite, voice, casting vote; vote &c (choice) 609; opinion &c (belief) 484; good judgment &c (wisdom) 498.

judge, umpire; arbiter, arbitrator; asessor, referee.

censor, reviewer, critic; connoisseur; commentator &c 524; inspector, inspecting officer.

twenty-twenty hindsight [judgment after the fact]; armchair general, monday morning quarterback.