motte and bailey
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motte and bailey
Where it comes from
(form of argument): Coined by philosopher Nicholas Shackel.
noun mottes and baileys · motte-and-bailey
- The predecessor of the European castle, having a raised earth mound (the motte) topped with a tower (or donjon), and a wooden ring fortification surrounding a courtyard (the bailey). Should an inquiring stranger ask an Irish countryman if there were any "mottes" in the neighbourhood he might be met with unexpected but none the less unrestrained laughter, as in semi-slang the word has another meaning very far from that of a castle mound!
- A form of argument and an informal fallacy where an arguer conflates two similar positions, one modest and easier to defend (the "motte") and one much more controversial (the "bailey"), by advancing the controversial position, but when challenged, insisting that they are only advancing the more modest position.
Talk about this word "motte and bailey." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/motte%20and%20bailey. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. motte and bailey. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/motte%20and%20bailey "motte and bailey." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/motte%20and%20bailey.Cite this
@misc{motte_and_bailey_2026,
title = {motte and bailey},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/motte%20and%20bailey},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
