Logical Fallacies

LogFall

A practical logical-fallacies reference with clear explanations, usable examples, and teaching tools.

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Category

Linguistic

Confusion created by wording, ambiguity, framing, or unstable definitions.

How to spot it

16 fallacies in this category.

16

Has the wording shifted, blurred, or changed meaning mid-argument?

Examples in this category

ContextomyContinuum fallacyDefinist fallacyEquivocationEquivocation fallacy

+11 more listed below.

Category vs. family

A category is a diagnostic lens, so a fallacy may appear in more than one category. A family is the broader umbrella that gives the fallacy its single main home.

Contextomy

Occurs when words are selectively excerpted from their original context in a way that changes or distorts what the speaker meant.

TacticalLinguistic
Intermediate Intro college
Contextomy companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when words are selectively excerpted from their original context in a way that changes or distorts what the speaker meant.

Continuum fallacy

Occurs when a claim is rejected simply because the concept involved has blurry boundaries rather than a perfectly sharp cutoff.

ConceptualLinguistic
Intermediate Intro college
Continuum fallacy companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when a claim is rejected simply because the concept involved has blurry boundaries rather than a perfectly sharp cutoff.

Definist fallacy

Occurs when a substantive question is illegitimately 'solved' by defining one contested concept into another.

LinguisticConceptual
Advanced Intro college
Definist fallacy companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when a substantive question is illegitimately 'solved' by defining one contested concept into another.

Equivocation

Occurs when a key word or phrase slides between different meanings inside the same argument, creating the illusion of support.

Linguistic
Intermediate Intro college
Equivocation companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when a key word or phrase slides between different meanings inside the same argument, creating the illusion of support.

Equivocation fallacy

Occurs when a broad or harmless sense of a word is used to insinuate a narrower, stronger, or more loaded sense of the same word.

Linguistic
Advanced Intro college
Equivocation fallacy companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when a broad or harmless sense of a word is used to insinuate a narrower, stronger, or more loaded sense of the same word.

Etymological fallacy

Occurs when a word's original or historical meaning is treated as if it controlled the word's present meaning.

Linguistic
Advanced Intro college
Etymological fallacy companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when a word's original or historical meaning is treated as if it controlled the word's present meaning.

Fallacy of necessity

Occurs when a condition that is necessary given someone's current description is treated as if it were permanently or universally necessary in the real world.

LinguisticConceptual
Advanced Intro college
Fallacy of necessity companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when a condition that is necessary given someone's current description is treated as if it were permanently or universally necessary in the real world.

Genetic fallacy

Occurs when a claim, practice, or idea is judged mainly by its origin rather than by its present content, evidence, or merits.

LinguisticConceptual
Intermediate Intro college
Genetic fallacy companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when a claim, practice, or idea is judged mainly by its origin rather than by its present content, evidence, or merits.

Intentional fallacy

Occurs when the creator's intended meaning is treated as irrelevant in contexts where that intention is actually important to understanding the work or statement.

PerspectivalLinguistic
Advanced Intro college
Intentional fallacy companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when the creator's intended meaning is treated as irrelevant in contexts where that intention is actually important to understanding the work or statement.

Motte and bailey fallacy

Occurs when someone advances a bold, controversial claim, retreats under criticism to a weaker and easier-to-defend claim, and then returns to the stronger claim as if th...

TacticalLinguisticConceptual
Intermediate Intro college
Motte and bailey fallacy companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when someone advances a bold, controversial claim, retreats under criticism to a weaker and easier-to-defend claim, and then returns to the stronger claim as if the weaker claim had defended it.

No True Scotsman

Occurs when someone protects a generalization from counterexamples by redefining the group with an ad hoc 'real' or 'true' membership test.

ConceptualLinguistic
Intermediate Intro college
No True Scotsman companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when someone protects a generalization from counterexamples by redefining the group with an ad hoc 'real' or 'true' membership test.

Overwhelming exception

Occurs when a general principle is padded with so many exceptions that it no longer guides action or says much of substance.

LinguisticConceptual
Advanced Intro college
Overwhelming exception companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when a general principle is padded with so many exceptions that it no longer guides action or says much of substance.

Proof by verbosity

Occurs when a claim is protected by an avalanche of words, side points, jargon, or branching assertions that overwhelm reasonable scrutiny and create the illusion of dept...

TacticalLinguistic
Intermediate Intro college
Proof by verbosity companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when a claim is protected by an avalanche of words, side points, jargon, or branching assertions that overwhelm reasonable scrutiny and create the illusion of depth.

Reification

Occurs when an abstraction is spoken of as if it were a concrete agent or thing in a way that misleads rather than merely using harmless metaphor.

ConceptualLinguisticPerspectival
Advanced Intro college
Reification companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when an abstraction is spoken of as if it were a concrete agent or thing in a way that misleads rather than merely using harmless metaphor.

Semantic pixelization

Occurs when a fuzzy, graded, or probabilistic position is forced into unnaturally sharp categories so it becomes easier to attack.

Linguistic
Advanced Intro college
Semantic pixelization companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when a fuzzy, graded, or probabilistic position is forced into unnaturally sharp categories so it becomes easier to attack.

Suppressed correlative

Occurs when one term in a meaningful contrast is redefined so broadly or so narrowly that its opposing term can no longer do any work.

ConceptualLinguistic
Advanced Intro college
Suppressed correlative companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when one term in a meaningful contrast is redefined so broadly or so narrowly that its opposing term can no longer do any work.