sophistry Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun a deliberately invalid argument displaying ingenuity in reasoning in the hope of deceiving someone
sophism; sophistication.

OE. sophistrie, OF. sophisterie.

The art or process of reasoning; logic. Obs.
The practice of a sophist; fallacious reasoning; reasoning sound in appearance only.
The juggle of sophistry consists, for the most part, in using a word in one sense in the premise, and in another sense in the conclusion. Coleridge.
Syn. -- See Fallacy.