undistributed middle

noun

: a syllogistic fallacy in which neither premise conveys information about all members of the class designated by the middle term
the argument “All men are sinners, and all weaklings are sinners, therefore all men are weaklings” says nothing about all sinners and has an undistributed middle

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near undistributed middle

Cite this Entry

“Undistributed middle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undistributed%20middle. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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