# petitio principii

> English word · Noun · IPA /pɪˈtɪʃiˌəʊ prɪnˈkɪpiˌaɪ/

## Definitions
1. The logical fallacy of begging the question (i.e., "assuming the conclusion").
2. A particular argument which commits the fallacy of begging the question; a circular argument.

## Etymology
From Latin petītiō prīncipiī (literally “an assumption from the beginning”), calque of Ancient Greek τὸ ἐν ἀρχῇ αἰτεῖσθαι (tò en arkhēî aiteîsthai, “to assume from the beginning”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/petitio-principii