Meanings
plural epichiremes · plural epichiremata · alternative epicheirema
- rhetorichuman sciencesA dialectical inference; a syllogism based on probable premises (endoxa), as opposed to a philosopheme which is a demonstrative or scientific syllogism based on true premises.
A philosopheme is a demonstrative inference: an epichireme is a dialectical inference: a sophism is a contentious inference: an aporeme is an inference that reasons dialectically to a contradiction.
2006, Aristotle, “VIII.11”, in W. D. Ross, transl., TopicsSynonyms: epichirema
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA dialectical inference; a syllogism based on probable premises (endoxa), as opposed to a philosopheme which is a demonstrative or scientific syllogism based on true premises.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἐπιχείρημα
- Englishepichireme
From Ancient Greek ἐπιχείρημα (epikheírēma), from ἐπιχειρέω (epikheiréō, “to attempt, to prove”, literally “to put one's hand on”), from ἐπί (epí, “upon”) + χείρ (kheír, “hand”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
epichireme. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epichireme
“epichireme.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epichireme. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “epichireme,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epichireme.
Source: epichireme on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.