symbolic logic

noun

: a science of developing and representing logical principles by means of a formalized system consisting of primitive symbols, combinations of these symbols, axioms, and rules of inference

Examples of symbolic logic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Training in symbolic logic makes these sort of reasonings second nature to voters. Vinay K. Chaudhri, Scientific American, 5 Sep. 2024 What a good system of symbolic logic does is that let us get really organized. The Lost Women Of Science Initiative, Scientific American, 30 Nov. 2023 Christine was a mathematician who specialized in symbolic logic. The Lost Women Of Science Initiative, Scientific American, 30 Nov. 2023 These in turn are being aided by new work on neural nets as well as symbolic logic. John McCarthy, IEEE Spectrum, 6 May 2023 The team also showed that, for 3-by-3 grids, their system was almost 250 times faster than a traditional method that uses rules of symbolic logic to reason, since that method must search through an enormous rulebook to determine the correct next step. Anil Ananthaswamy, Quanta Magazine, 13 Apr. 2023 Will deep learning ever be able to learn symbolic logic? Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2022 On the other side of the debate are cognitive psychologists such as former NYU professor Gary Marcus and many others who see strong evidence that in people—and to some extent in animals too— symbolic logic is innate, not learned. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2022 NooK incorporates symbolic logic and explicit probabilistic reasoning allows for clear explanations of the A.I.’s decisions. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of symbolic logic was in 1856

Dictionary Entries Near symbolic logic

Cite this Entry

“Symbolic logic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/symbolic%20logic. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on symbolic logic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!