Sorites Definition

sə-rītēz, sô-
noun
A series of premises followed by a conclusion, arranged so that the predicate of the first premise is the subject of the next, and so forth, the conclusion uniting the subject of the first with the predicate of the last in an elliptical series of syllogisms.
Webster's New World
An argument exploiting the imprecision of everyday language to reach a paradoxical conclusion. The classic argument of this sort maintains that one grain of sand does not make a heap and that adding a single grain of sand to something that is not a heap does not make a heap, yielding the conclusion that no additional amount of sand can make a heap.
American Heritage
adjective
Of or relating to a sorites.
A sorites paradox.
American Heritage

Origin of Sorites

  • From the Latin sōrÄ«tÄ“s, from the Ancient Greek σωρείτης (sōreitÄ“s, “fallacy of the heap"), from σωρός (sōros, “heap").

    From Wiktionary

  • Latin sōrītēs from Greek sōreitēs from sōros heap teuə- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

Sorites Sentence Examples

  • Resolution of the sorites into its constituent elements gives the rules (a) that no premise except the first may be particular and (/3) that no premise except the last may be negative.

  • Explain how this notion is used to respond to the Sorites paradox.

  • Or ask the question how a thermostat avoids the sorites paradox?

  • Can sorites arguments be used to argue for this result?

Sorites Is Also Mentioned In

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Words Starting With

SSOSOR

Words Ending With

SESTES

Unscrambles

sorites

Words Starting With S and Ending With S

Starts With S & Ends With SStarts With SO & Ends With SStarts With S & Ends With ES

Word Length

7 Letter Words7 Letter Words Starting With S7 Letter Words Ending With S