enthymeme

/ˈɛnθɪˌmiːm/

//ˈɛnθɪˌmiːm// noun

"enthymeme" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“enthymeme” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A by and large statement, a maxim, an argument that is intended to be generally true and not apply to every case universally.

Corpus desk

Index EN-enthymeme · enthymeme · English

enthymeme · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "E" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for enthymeme
PropertyValue
Headwordenthymeme
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɛnθɪˌmiːm/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “enthymeme” in English

enthymemeranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

enthymeme is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɛnθɪˌmiːm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

enthymeme doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek ἐνθύμημα (enthúmēma, “thought, consideration”), from ἐν (en, “within, with”) + θυμός (thumós, “soul, life”). The correct English form is enthymeme, spelled E-N-T-H-Y-M-E-M-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A by and large statement, a maxim, an argument that is intended to be generally true and not apply to every case universally.
  2. 2
    A syllogism with a required but unstated assumption.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἐνθύμημα (enthúmēma, “thought, consideration”), from ἐν (en, “within, with”) + θυμός (thumós, “soul, life”).

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "enthymeme"?
"enthymeme" is spelled E-N-T-H-Y-M-E-M-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛnθɪˌmiːm/.
What does "enthymeme" mean?
As a noun, "enthymeme" means: A by and large statement, a maxim, an argument that is intended to be generally true and not apply to every case universally.
How do you pronounce "enthymeme"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "enthymeme" is /ˈɛnθɪˌmiːm/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "enthymeme"?
From Ancient Greek ἐνθύμημα (enthúmēma, “thought, consideration”), from ἐν (en, “within, with”) + θυμός (thumós, “soul, life”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list