reductio ad absurdum
English
Noun
reductio ad absurdum
- (mathematics, logic) The method of proving a statement by assuming the statement is false and, with that assumption, arriving at a blatant contradiction.
Synonyms
Translations
proof by contradiction — see proof by contradiction
Latin
Etymology
Possibly a loose translation of the Ancient Greek ἡ εἰς τὸ ἀδύνατον ἀπόδειξις (hē eis tò adúnaton apódeixis, “demonstration towards the impossible”).
Noun
reductiō ad absurdum f (genitive reductiōnis ad absurdum); third declension
Inflection
Third declension.
| Case | Singular |
|---|---|
| nominative | reductiō ad absurdum |
| genitive | reductiōnis ad absurdum |
| dative | reductiōnī ad absurdum |
| accusative | reductiōnem ad absurdum |
| ablative | reductiōne ad absurdum |
| vocative | reductiō ad absurdum |
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