reductio

noun

re·​duc·​tio

rə̇ˈdəkshēˌō,

rēˈ-;

rāˈdu̇ktēˌō

plural reductiones

⸗ˌ⸗⸗ˈōˌnēz;

⸗ˌ⸗⸗ˈōˌnās

: an act or process of reducing

—used as the first term in phrases relating to disproof of a proposition by arguing it to an obviously false conclusion

reductio ad impossible

compare ad absurdum

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin

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