modus tollendo tollens

noun

A valid form of argument in which the antecedent of a conditional proposition is infirmed, thereby entailing the infirmation of the consequent. Modus tollendo tollens has the form

OriginLatin modus →
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Meanings

nounmodus tollendo tollens (uncountable)
  1. uncountablehuman sciencesA valid form of argument in which the antecedent of a conditional proposition is infirmed, thereby entailing the infirmation of the consequent. Modus tollendo tollens has the form

    2. non-P.

    2 more examples

    1. If non-P, then non-Q.

    3. Therefore, non-Q.

Origin

  1. Latinmodus
  2. Englishmodus tollendo tollens

Borrowed from Latin modus tollendō tollēns (roughly, “mode where infirming infirms”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

modus tollendo tollens. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modus%20tollendo%20tollens

MLA

“modus tollendo tollens.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modus%20tollendo%20tollens. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “modus tollendo tollens,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modus%20tollendo%20tollens.

Source: modus tollendo tollens on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.