What does "enthymeme" mean?

A by and large statement, a maxim, an argument that is intended to be generally true and not apply to every case universally.

What is a synonym for "enthymeme"?

Common synonyms include: dilemma, figure, maxim, mode, mood, paralogism.

Pronounced //ˈɛnθɪˌmiːm//.

//ˈɛnθɪˌmiːm// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
A by and large statement, a maxim, an argument that is intended to be generally true and not apply to every case universally.
2
A syllogism with a required but unstated assumption.

From Ancient Greek ἐνθύμημα (enthúmēma, “thought, consideration”), from ἐν (en, “within, with”) + θυμός (thumós, “soul, life”).

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.