apagogical
|a-pa-go-gic-al|
🇺🇸
/ˌæpəˈɡɑːdʒɪkəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌæpəˈɡɒdʒɪkəl/
leading away; indirect refutation
Etymology
'apagogical' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'apagōgē', where 'apo-' meant 'away' and 'agein' (or 'agō') meant 'to lead'.
'apagogical' passed into Late/Medieval Latin as 'apagogicus' (and related Medieval-Latin forms) and later entered English as 'apagogical', retaining the connection to the idea of 'leading away' (used in logical contexts).
Initially it meant 'leading away' or 'a drawing away' (in a literal or figurative sense); over time the sense specialized to mean 'pertaining to indirect argument or refutation' (e.g., reductio-style reasoning).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to or employing apagogic method; 'leading away'—used of reasoning that establishes a conclusion by showing that alternatives lead to absurdity or contradiction (indirect proof).
The philosopher presented an apagogical argument to show that the opponent's assumptions produced a contradiction.
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Adjective 2
of or pertaining to refutation or disproof; serving to disprove a claim by showing its untenable consequences.
The paper used apagogical techniques to disprove earlier conjectures about the model.
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Last updated: 2025/09/14 10:02