Meanings
plural argumenta ad populum
- rhetoricA fallacious argument that concludes a proposition to be true because many or all people believe it; it alleges that “if many believe so, it is so”.
The appeals to the public were also expressed differently: that is to say, much less by fallacious argumenta ad populum that played on the fears of the addressees, than by an appeal to rational insights, humanity and democracy.
2001, Martin Reisigl, Ruth Wodak, Discourse and Discrimination: Rhetorics of Racism and Antisemitism, page 166Synonyms: argumentum ad numerum, bandwagon fallacy
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA fallacious argument that concludes a proposition to be true because many or all people believe it; it alleges that “if many believe so, it is so”.
Origin
Latin: argūmentum (“argument”, “proof”) + ad (“to”, “toward”) + populum (accusative singular of populus, “people”, “nation”) ≈ “appeal to the people”
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Tagalog katwirang umaantig sa sambayanan
- katwirang umaantig sa sambayananfallacious argument
Cite this entry
argumentum ad populum. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/argumentum%20ad%20populum
“argumentum ad populum.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/argumentum%20ad%20populum. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “argumentum ad populum,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/argumentum%20ad%20populum.
Source: argumentum ad populum on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.