Reasoning & Logic Vocabulary

a previous statement from which another is inferred

“The conclusion follows logically from the premise.”

a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence

“What inference can we draw from this data?”

the process of reasoning from general to specific

“Through deduction, we can rule out possibilities.”

the process of reasoning from specific to general

“Induction from these cases suggests a pattern.”

inference to the best explanation

“Abductive reasoning points to the most likely cause.”

a form of reasoning with two premises and a conclusion

“The syllogism: all A are B, all B are C, therefore all A are C.”

a proposition that follows from one already proven

“The corollary of this finding is significant.”

a statement regarded as self-evidently true

“We'll take this as an axiom for our discussion.”

a thing suggested or assumed as true as a basis

“Let's postulate that demand will remain stable.”

a mistaken belief based on unsound reasoning

“That's a logical fallacy—correlation isn't causation.”

a conclusion that doesn't logically follow

“Your conclusion is a non sequitur from the evidence.”

a statement that is true by necessity; circular reasoning

“Saying 'it is what it is' is a tautology.”

a practical method for problem-solving

“Use this heuristic to quickly estimate the answer.”

a process or set of rules for calculations

“The algorithm follows a specific logical sequence.”

a set of reasons justifying a course of action

“Explain the rationale behind your decision.”

the relationship between cause and effect

“Establish causation, not just correlation.”