# sophistry

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈsɒ.fɪ.stɹi/ · frequency rank #79,988

## Definitions
1. The actions or arguments of a sophist.
2. Plausible yet fallacious argumentation or reasoning.
3. An argument that seems plausible, but is fallacious or misleading, especially one devised deliberately to be so.

## Etymology
From Middle English safistre, soffistre, sofystry, sophestrie, sophestry, sophestrye, sophistre, sophistri, sophistrie, sophistry, sophistrye, sophystrye, from Old French sofisterie, sophistrie and Medieval Latin sophistria, Anglo-Latin sophestria, from Latin sophista, from Ancient Greek σοφιστής (sophistḗs, “wise man”), from σοφίζω (sophízō, “I am wise”), from σοφός (sophós, “wise”), equivalent to sophist + -ry.

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