abduction
/æbˈdəkʃən/
inference to the best explanation
abduction in a sentence
“Abductive reasoning suggests the most likely cause of these symptoms.”
Origin of abduction
Latin abductio (a leading away), from abducere (lead away), from ab- (away) + ducere (to lead)
Related Words
postulate
a thing suggested as a basis for reasoning
axiom
a statement regarded as self-evidently true
theorem
a proposition proved by reasoning from accepted truths
syllogism
a form of reasoning with two premises leading to a conclusion
enthymeme
an argument where one premise is implied rather than stated
dialectic
the art of investigating truth through discussion and reasoning