elenchus

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elenchus

/ɪˈlɛŋ.kəs/

Where it comes from

From Latin elenchus, from Ancient Greek ἔλεγχος (élenkhos, “refutation, scrutiny, control”). Doublet of elench.

noun elenchi

rhetoric A technique of argument associated with Socrates wherein the arguer asks the interlocutor to agree with a series of premises and conclusions, ending with the arguer's intended point. The elenchus begins when an interlocutor makes some moral claim that Socrates wishes to examine. The argument then proceeds from premisses that express certain of the interlocutor’s other beliefs to a conclusion that contradicts the original moral claim under scrutiny.
Similar: Socratic method

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MLA

"elenchus." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/elenchus. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

elenchus. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/elenchus

Chicago

"elenchus." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/elenchus.

BibTeX

@misc{elenchus_2026,
  title = {elenchus},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/elenchus},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}