Complete Definition of "non sequitur"

wikipedia
was wotd|2007|July|3
English

Alternative spellings
non-sequitur

Etymology
L. non sequitur "it does not follow".

Pronunciation
italbrac|RP IPA|/�n�n�s�k.wɪ.t�/
italbrac|US IPA|/�n��n�s�k.wɪ.t�/
audio|en-us-non sequitur.ogg|Audio (US)

Noun
en-noun|sg=non sequitur

  1. logic An invalid argument; one in which the conclusion cannot be logically deduced from the premises.

#:The argument "All ravens are black; this object is black; therefore, this object is a raven" is a non sequitur.

  1. Any abrupt and inexplicable transition or occurrence.

#:Having a costumed superhero abduct the vicar was an utter non sequitur in the novel.

  1. context|humor A kind of pun that uses a change of word, subject, or meaning to make a joke of the listener's expectation:

#:"Take my wife - please." -- Henny Youngman
#:"If all the girls who attended the Yale prom were laid end to end, I wouldn't be a bit surprised." -- Dorothy Parker
#:"A fool and his money are soon partying." -- Steven Wright

Translations
Polish: b��d (wnioskowania) m

Usage notes
Other pluralizations are non sequituri (which is not proper Latin) and non sequiuntur (which is proper Latin, but conveys a possibly ambiguous meaning: "they do not follow"); both are neologism|neologistic W:Folk etymology|folk etymology. As non sequitur is a phrase not a noun in Latin, its borrowing into English as a noun indicates regular English plural formation, ergo non sequiturs.<ref name="LanLog20040425?">Poser, Bill, "More Pseudo-Latin Plurals, [''Language Log'', April 4, 2004; accessed May 12, 2007.</ref>5758Derived terms24 non-sequiturial {{pos_a}}5960Antonyms25(''invalid argument''): sequitur6162See also26deus ex machina27fallacy28paradox29w:Logical fallacy|Wikipedia article on logical fallacy30w:Non sequitur|Wikipedia article on non sequiturs31[http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/skeptic/arguments.html List of types of logical fallacy

References
<references />

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Revision and Credits for"non sequitur"
  • 2007-09-21 14:42 - SemperBlotto - Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/59.164.116.148|59.164.116.148]] ([[User_talk:59.164.116.148|Talk]]); changed back to last version by [[User:Cynewulf|Cynewulf]]

  • Full Revision History
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