speciousness

Meanings

• noun

  Having or showing a seemingly valid or attractive but actually misleading or deceptive appeal.

  - "The salesman's specious arguments convinced many customers to buy the faulty product."
  - "The politician's specious promises were designed to win votes, but he had no intention of keeping them."

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Rhymes

Words rhyming with speciousness
deceitfulness , preciousness , receitiveness

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Variants

List of all variants of speciousness that leads to same result
specious , speciously , speciousness , speciousnesses

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Etymology

origin and the way in which meanings have changed throughout history.

From Latin speciosus, meaning 'ornamented, showy, attractive'.

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Trivia

Any details, considerations, events or pieces of information regarding the word

1. The term 'specious' was first used in English in the late 15th century.

2. The word 'specious' comes from the Latin word 'speciosus', which means 'ornamented' or 'showy'.

3. Speciousness is often used in logic and philosophy to describe deceptive or misleading arguments.

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Related Concepts

informations on related concepts or terms closely associated with the word. Discuss semantic fields or domains that the word belongs to

1. fallacy: Speciousness is a type of fallacy, specifically an argument that is deceptive or misleading.

2. deception: Speciousness involves the use of deception to manipulate or mislead.

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Quotes

Quotes by authors and personalities

1. By and large, they made these changes with "specious" explanations or no explanation at all. Today, when curricula list rhetoric as a subject, it usually means simply the study of how to write effectively.

   - Walter J. Ong,{it}Orality and Literacy{/it},(1982) 2002

2. Forty years ago I was not yet thirty, and my father still held to the hope that I would come to my senses, abandon the practice of journalism, and follow a career in one of the Wall Street money trades. As a young man during the Great Depression he had labored briefly as a city-room reporter for William Randolph Hearst's {it}San Francisco Examiner{/it}, and he knew that the game was poorly paid and usually rigged, more often than not a matter of converting "specious" rumor into dubious fact.

   - Lewis H. Lapham,{it}Harper's{/it},February 2004

3. One must always guard the interests of one's constituency in the public forum even when its claims are weak or perhaps "specious", lest one's opponents steal the march in the never-ending battle for resources or public support.

   - Robert Jackall et al.,{it}Image Makers{/it},2000

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Culture

Any cultural, historical, or symbolic significance of the word. Explore how the word has been used in literature, art, music, or other forms of expression.

The concept of speciousness has been explored in various literary works, including philosophical and ethical texts, as well as in everyday language. It is often used to describe deceptive or misleading arguments, and can be found in various forms of media and communication.

How to Memorize "speciousness"

1. visualize
   

   - Visualize a salesman using deceptive tactics to sell a product, or a politician making promises they have no intention of keeping.

2. associate
   

   - Associate the word 'specious' with the idea of something that looks good on the surface but is actually misleading or deceptive.

3. mnemonics
   

   - Use the mnemonic 'Sneaky Salesman' to remember the meaning of speciousness.

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