What does enthymeme mean?
An enthymeme is an argument that follows the shape of a syllogism but leaves one of its premises unstated, trusting the audience to supply it from shared assumptions. In the classic example, "Socrates is mortal because he is human" quietly relies on the suppressed premise "all humans are mortal." The term comes from Aristotle's rhetoric, where he treated the enthymeme as the characteristic form of persuasive reasoning — not a strict chain of certain truths like a logical syllogism, but a probable argument built on what listeners already believe. Because its force depends on an implied premise, an enthymeme can be elegant and economical, drawing an audience into completing the thought, but it can also smuggle in dubious assumptions without scrutiny. The word remains chiefly academic, appearing in discussions of rhetoric, debate, composition, and critical thinking, where identifying the hidden premise is often the key step in evaluating whether an argument truly holds up.
nounA rhetorical argument in the form of a syllogism in which one premise is left implicit or merely assumed rather than stated; more broadly, an informal reasoning pattern in which a conclusion is drawn from probable premises.
- (Rhetoric) An argument resembling a syllogism but with one premise left unstated or taken for granted, so that the audience supplies it themselves.
- (More broadly) Any informal mode of inference based on probabilities and shared assumptions rather than strict deductive proof.
"Her speech was built on a single enthymeme: that voters who distrust institutions will reward whoever promises to shake them up."
""She must be a good leader — she's run a successful business," he argued, an enthymeme whose hidden premise equated business success with political skill."
"In his textbook on rhetoric, the enthymeme appears as the workhorse of everyday persuasion, from advertising slogans to courtroom summations."
Standard English plural, used when referring to multiple such arguments.
"The essayist dissected three enthymemes embedded in the candidate's stump speech."
Aristotle considered the enthymeme the 'body' of all persuasion — the argument works precisely because your mind silently fills in the missing piece yourself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of enthymeme
Enthymeme derives from Greek enthumēma, meaning 'a thought, consideration, or argument', formed from enthumēsthai ('to keep in mind, consider'), which combines en- ('in') with thumos ('mind, spirit'). It entered English in the mid-16th century through Latin enthȳnēma, initially within the study of classical rhetoric. Its root thum-/the- connects it etymologically to words such as theme, thesis, and hypothesis, all ultimately tracing back to the Greek verb tithenai ('to place, put').
Related word forms
How enthymeme is actually used
The term is technical and largely confined to rhetoric, logic, composition studies, and philosophy; it is rare in everyday conversation. Writers on rhetoric differ over how strictly to define it — some reserve the word for Aristotle's probabilistic syllogism, others use it loosely for any argument with an unstated premise. The plural is 'enthymemes'.
Easily confused with enthymeme
A syllogism is a formal logical argument with all premises explicitly stated, whereas an enthymeme omits or leaves implicit at least one premise.