circular argument

noun

A term often conflated with begging the question in philosophy.

Similar
circular reasoningcircular logicbegging the questionpetitio principii
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nouncircular argument (plural circular arguments)

plural circular arguments

  1. informalA term often conflated with begging the question in philosophy.
  2. human sciencesAn argument which commits the logical fallacy of assuming what it is attempting to prove.

    A logically circular argument’s conclusion is included as one of its premises.

    2004 Nov, M Bergmann, “Epistemic Circularity: Malignant and Benign.”, in Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, volume 69, number 3, p. 710 n3

    Synonyms: circular reasoning, circular logic, begging the question, petitio principii

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn argument which commits the logical fallacy of assuming what it is attempting to prove.

Similar
circular reasoningcircular logicbegging the questionpetitio principii
Also see
begging the questioncircular logiccircular reasoningvicious circle

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 循環論證 /循环论证
  • 循環論證 /循环论证 (xúnhuán lùnzhèng)a type of argument
Danish cirkelslutning
  • cirkelslutninga type of argument
Dutch cirkelredenering
  • cirkelredeneringa type of argument
Finnish kehäpäätelmä
  • kehäpäätelmäa type of argument
French raisonnement circulaire
  • raisonnement circulairea type of argument
German Zirkelschluss, Zirkelbeweis
  • Zirkelschlussa type of argument
  • Zirkelbeweisa type of argument
Hungarian körben forgó érvelés, körkörös érvelés
  • körben forgó érvelésa type of argument
  • körkörös érvelésa type of argument
Norwegian Bokmål sirkelargument
  • sirkelargumenta type of argument
Polish błędne koło
  • błędne kołoa type of argument
Romanian argument circular
  • argument circulara type of argument
Spanish argumento circular
  • argumento circulara type of argument
Swedish cirkelargument, cirkelbevis
  • cirkelargumenta type of argument
  • cirkelbevisa type of argument
Turkish kapalı döngü
  • kapalı döngüa type of argument
Cite this entry
APA

circular argument. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/circular%20argument

MLA

“circular argument.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/circular%20argument. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “circular argument,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/circular%20argument.

Source: circular argument on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.