#472. Probability. N. probability, likelihood; credibleness[obs3]; likeliness &c. adj.

.; vraisemblance[Fr], verisimilitude, plausibility; color, semblance, show o f; presumption; presumptive evidence, circumstantial evidence; credibility. reas onable chance, fair chance, good chance, favorable chance, reasonable prospect, fair prospect, good prospect, favorable prospect; prospect, wellgrounded hope; c hance &c. 156. V. be probable &c. adj.; give color to, lend color to; point to; imply &c. (evidence) 467; bid fair &c. (promise) 511; stand fair for; stand a go od chance, run a good chance. think likely, dare say, flatter oneself; expect &c . 507; count upon &c. (believe) 484. Adj. probable, likely, hopeful, to be expec ted, in a fair way. plausible, specious, ostensible, colorable, ben trovato[It], well- founded, reasonable, credible, easy of belief, presumable, presumptive, a pparent. Adv. probably &c. adj.; belike[obs3]; in all probability, in all likeli hood; very likely, most likely; like enough; odds on, odds in favor, ten &c. to one; apparently, seemingly, according to every reasonable expectation; prim faci e[Lat]; to all appearance &c. (to the eye) 448. Phr. the chances, the odds are; appearances are in favor of, chances are in favor of; there is reason to believe , there is reason to think, there is reason to expect; I dare say; all Lombard S treet to a China orange. #473. Improbability. N. improbability, unlikelihood; unfavorable chance, bad cha nce, ghost of a chance, little chance, small chance, poor chance, scarcely any c hance, no chance; bare possibility; long odds; incredibility &c. 485. V. be impr obable &c. adj.; have a small chance &c. n. Adj. improbable, unlikely, contrary to all reasonable expectation; wild, far out, out of sight, outtasight, heavy [a ll coll.]. rare &c. (infrequent) 137; unheard of, inconceivable; unimaginable, i nimaginable[obs3]; incredible &c. 485; more than doubtful; strange, bizarre (unc omformable) 83. Phr. the chances are against; aquila non capit muscas[Lat]; pedi r peras pal olmo[Lat]. #474. Certainty. N. certainty; necessity &c. 601; certitude, surety, assurance; dead certainty, moral certainty; infallibleness &c. adj.; infallibility, reliabi lity; indubitableness, inevitableness, unquestionableness[obs3]. gospel, scriptu re, church, pope, court of final appeal; res judicata[Lat], ultimatum positivene ss; dogmatism, dogmatist, dogmatizer; doctrinaire, bigot, opinionist[obs3], Sir Oracle; ipse dixit[Lat]. fact; positive fact, matter of fact; fait accompli[Fr]. V. be certain &c. adj.; stand to reason. render certain &c. adj.; insure, ensur e, assure; clinch, make sure; determine, decide, set at rest, "make assurance do uble sure" [Macbeth]; know &c. (believe) 484. dogmatize, lay down the law. Adj. certain, sure, assured &c. v.; solid, well-founded. unqualified, absolute, posit ive, determinate, definite, clear, unequivocal, categorical, unmistakable, decis ive, decided, ascertained. inevitable, unavoidable, avoidless[obs3]; ineluctable . unerring, infallible; unchangeable &c. 150; to be depended on, trustworthy, re liable, bound. unimpeachable, undeniable, unquestionable; indisputable, incontes table, incontrovertible, indubitable; irrefutable &c. (proven) 478; conclusive, without power of appeal. indubious[obs3]; without doubt, beyond a doubt, without a shade or shadow of doubt, without question, beyond question; past dispute; cl ear as day; beyond all question, beyond all dispute; undoubted, uncontested, unq uestioned, undisputed; questionless[obs3], doubtless. authoritative, authentic, official. sure as fate, sure as death and taxes, sure as a gun. evident, self-ev ident, axiomatic; clear, clear as day, clear as the sun at noonday. Adv. certain ly &c. adj.; for certain, certes[Lat], sure, no doubt, doubtless, and no mistake , flagrante delicto[Lat], sure enough, to be sure, of course, as a matter of cou rse, a coup sur, to a certainty; in truth &c. (truly) 494; at any rate, at all e vents; without fail; coute que coute[Fr], coute qu'il coute[Fr]; whatever may ha ppen, if the worst come to the worst; come what may, happen what may, come what will; sink or swim; rain or shine. Phr. cela va sans dire[Fr]; there is -no ques tion, - not a shadow of doubt; the die is cast &c. (necessity) 601; "facts are s tubborn things" [Smollett]. < p. 136 >

#475. Uncertainty. N. uncertainty, incertitude, doubt; doubtfulness &c. adj.; du biety, dubitation[obs3], dubitancy|, dubitousness[obs3]. hesitation, suspense; p erplexity, embarrassment, dilemma, bewilderment; timidity &c. (fear) 860; vacill ation &c. 605; diaporesis[obs3], indetermination. vagueness &c. adj.; haze, fog; obscurity &c. (darkness) 421; ambiguity &c. (double meaning) 520; contingency, dependence, dependency, double contingency, possibility upon a possibility; open question &c. (question) 461; onus probandi[Lat]; blind bargain, pig in a poke, leap in the dark, something or other; needle in a haystack, needle in a bottle o f hay; roving commission. precariousness &c. adj.; fallibility. V. be uncertain &c. adj.; wonder whether. lose the clue, lose the clew, scent; miss one's way. n ot know what to make of &c. (unintelligibility) 519, not know which way to turn, not know whether one stands on one's head or one's heels; float in a sea of dou bt,hesitate, flounder; lose oneself, lose one's head; muddle one's brains. rende r uncertain &c. adj.; put out, pose, puzzle, perplex, embarrass; confuse, confou nd; bewilder, bother, molder, addle the wits, throw off the scent, ambiguas in v ulgus spargere voces[Lat]; keep in suspense. doubt &c. (disbelieve) 485; hang in the balance, tremble in the balance; depend. Adj. uncertain; casual; random &c. (aimless) 621; changeable &c. 149. doubtful, dubious; indecisive; unsettled, un decided, undetermined; in suspense, open to discussion; controvertible; in quest ion &c. (inquiry) 461. vague; indeterminate, indefinite; ambiguous, equivocal; u ndefined, undefinable; confused &c. (indistinct) 447; mystic, oracular; dazed. p erplexing &c. v.; enigmatic, paradoxical, apocryphal, problematical, hypothetica l; experimental &c. 463. unpredictable, unforeseeable (unknowable) 519. fallible , questionable, precarious, slippery, ticklish, debatable, disputable; unreliabl e, untrustworthy. contingent, contingent on, dependent on; subject to; dependent on circumstances; occasional; provisional. unauthentic, unauthenticated, unauth oritative; unascertained, unconfirmed; undemonstrated; untold, uncounted. in a s tate of uncertainty, in a cloud, in a maze; bushed, off the track; ignorant.&c. 491; afraid to say; out of one's reckoning, astray, adrift; at sea, at fault, at a loss, at one's wit's end, at a nonplus; puzzled &c. v.; lost, abroad, dsorien t; distracted, distraught. Adv. pendente lite[Lat]; sub spe rati[Lat]. Phr. Heav en knows; who can tell? who shall decide when doctors disagree? ambiguas in vulg um spargere voces[Lat]. < p. 137 > % Section IV. REASONING PROCESSES % #476. Reasoning, N. {ant. 477} reasoning, ratiocination, rationalism; dialectics , induction, generalization. discussion, comment; ventilation; inquiry &c. 461. argumentation, controversy, debate; polemics, wrangling; contention &c. 720 logo machy[obs3]; disputation, disceptation[obs3]; paper war. art of reasoning, logic . process of reasoning, train of reasoning, chain of reasoning; deduction, induc tion, abduction; synthesis, analysis. argument; case, plaidoyer[obs3], opening; lemma, proposition, terms, premises, postulate, data, starting point, principle; inference &c. (judgment) 480. prosyllogism[obs3], syllogism; enthymeme[obs3], s orites[obs3], dilemma, perilepsis[obs3], a priori reasoning, reductio ad absurdu m, horns of a dilemma, argumentum ad hominem [Lat.], comprehensive argument; emp irema[obs3], epagoge[obs3]. [person who reasons] reasoner, logician, dialecticia n; disputant; controversialist, controvertist[obs3]; wrangler, arguer, debater p olemic, casuist, rationalist; scientist; eristic[obs3]. logical sequence; good c ase; correct just reasoning, sound reasoning, valid reasoning, cogent reasoning, logical reasoning, forcible reasoning, persuasive reasoning, persuasory reasoni ng[obs3], consectary reasoning|, conclusive &c. 478; subtle reasoning; force of argument, strong point, strong argument, persuasive argument. arguments, reasons , pros and cons. V. reason, argue, discuss, debate, dispute, wrangle- argufy[obs 3], bandy words, bandy arguments; chop logic; hold an argument, carry on an argu ment; controvert &c. (deny) 536; canvass; comment upon, moralize upon; spiritual ize; consider &c. (examine) 461. open a discussion, open a case; try conclusions

; join issue, be at issue; moot; come to the point; stir a question, agitate a q uestion, ventilate a question, torture a question; take up a side, take up a cas e. contend, take one's stand upon, insist, lay stress on; infer &c. 480. follow from &c. (demonstration) 478. Adj. reasoning &c. v.; rationalistic; argumentativ e, controversial, dialectic, polemical; discursory[obs3], discursive; disputatio us; Aristotelian[obs3], eristic[obs3], eristical[obs3]. debatable, controvertibl e. logical; relevant &c. 23. Adv. for, because, hence, whence, seeing that, sinc e, sith[obs3], then thence so; for that reason, for this reason, for which reaso n; for as, inasmuch as; whereas, ex concesso[Lat], considering, in consideration of; therefore, wherefore; consequently, ergo, thus, accordingly; a fortiori. in conclusion, in fine; finally, after all, au bout du compt[Fr], on the whole, ta king one thing with another. Phr. ab actu ad posse valet consecutio [Lat]; per t roppo dibatter la verita si perde [It]; troppo disputare la verita fa errare [It ]. #477. [The absence of reasoning.] Intuition. [False or vicious reasoning; show o f reason.] Sophistry. N. intuition, instinct, association, hunch, gut feeling; p resentiment, premonition; rule of thumb; superstition; astrology[obs3]; faith (s upposition) 514. sophistry, paralogy[obs3], perversion, casuistry, jesuitry, equ ivocation, evasion; chicane, chicanery; quiddet[obs3], quiddity; mystification; special pleading; speciousness &c. adj.; nonsense &c. 497; word sense, tongue se nse. false reasoning, vicious reasoning, circular reasoning; petitio principii[L at], ignoratio elenchi[Lat]; post hoc ergo propter hoc[Lat]; non sequitur, ignot um per ignotius[Lat]. misjudgment &c. 481; false teaching &c. 538. sophism, sole cism, paralogism[obs3]; quibble, quirk, elenchus[obs3], elench[obs3], fallacy, q uodlibet, subterfuge, subtlety, quillet[obs3]; inconsistency, antilogy[obs3]; "a delusion, a mockery, and a snare" [Denman]; claptrap, cant, mere words; "lame a nd impotent conclusion" [Othello]. meshes of sophistry, cobwebs of sophistry; fl aw in an argument; weak point, bad case. overrefinement[obs3]; hairsplitting &c. v. V. judge intuitively, judge by intuition; hazard a proposition, hazard a gue ss, talk at random. reason ill, falsely &c. adj.; misjudge &c. 481; paralogize[o bs3]. take on faith, take as a given; assume (supposition) 514. pervert, quibble ; equivocate, mystify, evade, elude; gloss over, varnish; misteach &c. 538[obs3] ; mislead &c. (error) 495; cavil, refine, subtilize[obs3], split hairs; misrepre sent &c. (lie) 544. beg the question, reason in a circle, reason in circles, ass ume the conclusion. cut blocks with a razor, beat about the bush, play fast and loose, play fast and loose with the facts, blow hot and cold, prove that black i s white and white black, travel out of the record, parler a tort et a travers[Fr ][obs3], put oneself out of court, not have a leg to stand on. judge hastily, sh oot from the hip, jump to conclusions (misjudgment) 481. Adj. intuitive, instinc tive, impulsive; independent of reason, anterior to reason; gratuitous, hazarded ; unconnected. unreasonable, illogical, false, unsound, invalid; unwarranted, no t following; inconsequent, inconsequential; inconsistent; absonous|, absonant[ob s3]; unscientific; untenable, inconclusive, incorrect; fallacious, fallible; gro undless, unproved; non sequitur[Latin: it does not follow]. deceptive, sophistic al, jesuitical; illusive, illusory; specious, hollow, plausible, ad captandum[La t], evasive; irrelevant &c. 10. weak, feeble, poor, flimsy, loose, vague. irrati onal; nonsensical &c. (absurd) 497. foolish &c. (imbecile) 499; frivolous, petti fogging, quibbling; finespun[obs3], overrefined[obs3]. at the end of one's tethe r, au bout de son latin. Adv. intuitively &c. adj.; by intuition; illogically &c . adj. Phr. non constat[Lat]; that goes for nothing. < p. 138 > #478. Demonstration. N. {ant. 479} demonstration, proof, rigorous proof; conclusiveness &c. adj.; apodeixis[obs3], apodixis[obs3], probation, comprobation|. logic of facts &c. (evidence) 467; experimentum crucis &c. (test) 463[Lat]; argument &c. 476; rigorous establishment, absolute establishment. conviction, cogency, (persuasion) 484.

V. demonstrate, prove, establish; make good; show, evince, manifest &c. (be evidence of) 467; confirm, corroborate, substantiate, verify &c. 467 settle the question, reduce to demonstration, set the question at rest. make out, make out a case; prove one's point, have the best of the argument; draw a conclusion &c. (judge) 480. follow, follow of course, follow as a matter of course, follow necessarily; stand to reason; hold good, hold water. convince, persuade (belief) 484. Adj. demonstrating &c. v., demonstrative, demonstrable; probative, unanswerable, conclusive; apodictic[obs3], apodeictic[obs3], apodeictical[obs3]; irresistible, irrefutable, irrefragable; necessary. categorical, decisive, crucial. demonstrated &c. v.; proven; unconfuted[obs3], unanswered, unrefuted[obs3]; evident &c. 474. deducible, consequential, consectary[obs3], inferential, following. [demonstrated to one's satisfaction] convincing, cogent, persuasive (believable) 484. Adv. of course, in consequence, consequently, as a matter of course; necessarily, of necessity. Phr. probatum est[Lat]; there is nothing more to be said; quod est demonstrandum[Lat], Q.E.D.; it must follow; exitus acta probat[Lat]. #479. Confutation. N. {ant 478} confutation, refutation; answer, complete answer ; disproof, conviction, redargution[obs3], invalidation; exposure, exposition; c lincher; retort; reductio ad absurdum; knock down argument, tu quoque argument[L at]; sockdolager * [obs3][U. S.]. correction &c. 527a; dissuasion &c. 616. V. co nfute, refute, disprove; parry, negative, controvert, rebut, confound, disconfir m, redargue[obs3], expose, show the fallacy of, defeat; demolish, break &c. (des troy) 162; overthrow, overturn scatter to the winds, explode, invalidate; silenc e; put to silence, reduce to silence; clinch an argument, clinch a question; giv e one a setdown[obs3], stop the mouth, shut up; have, have on the hip. not leave a leg to stand on, cut the ground from under one's feet. be confuted &c.; fail; expose one's weak point, show one's weak point. counter evidence &c. 468. Adj. confuting, confuted, &c. v.; capable of refutation; refutable, confutable[obs3], defeasible. contravene (counter evidence) 468. condemned on one's own showing,c ondemned out of one's own mouth. Phr. the argument falls to the ground, cadit qu aestio[Lat], it does not hold water, "suo sibi gladio hunc jugulo" [Terence]; hi s argument was demolished by new evidence.