per impossibile

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin per impossibile. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Adverb

per impossibile (not comparable)

  1. (chiefly philosophy) As is impossible.
    • 1853, Octavius Freire Owen, The Organon, or Logical Treatises of Aristotle‎, volume 1, translation of original by Aristotle:
      Moreover it is evident that all incomplete syllogisms are completed by means of the first figure, for all of them are concluded, either ostensively or per impossible, but in both ways the first figure is produced […]
    • 1979, Thomas Nagel, Mortal Questions, essay 8: “Equality”, page 107:
      If, per impossibile, large economic inequalities did not threaten political, legal, and social equality, they would be much less objectionable.
    • 1986, Jonathan Lear, Aristotle and Logical Theory‎, page 51:
      The per impossibile syllogism does not provide a method for deducing conclusions which could not be deduced by direct means.
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