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paralogize

/pəˈræləˌdʒaɪz/
IPA guide

Other forms: paralogized; paralogizing; paralogizes

To paralogize is to reach an illogical or false conclusion. When a DNA test says your dog is half beagle and half Chihuahua, but you decide she's definitely a German shepherd, you paralogize.

Whenever someone forms a strong opinion in spite of plenty of facts suggesting otherwise, they paralogize. A mayor who blames a city crime wave on immigrants despite studies showing that they are more law-abiding than native-born Americans is making this logical fallacy, which is also known as a paralogism. The word paralogize derives from a Greek word meaning "reason falsely."

Definitions of paralogize
  1. verb
    reason illogically, reaching a conclusion that isn't based on the stated facts
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