Responding to an appeal to definition
When responding to appeals to definition, it is useful to know the terms denotation, which is the literal meaning of a word, and connotation, which is a feeling the word evokes beyond its denotation.
- Explain why the use of the definition is inappropriate in this case.
- Explain why the proposed definition is flawed. Other dictionaries may offer different meanings than the one your opponent has chosen.
- You can sometimes benefit from using specific and relevant examples to show why such arguments are problematic.
- You can ask the person using the fallacy to correctly justify their reasoning in light of your criticism.
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An example of the appeal to definition
"We should ignore the theory of evolution because the dictionary says that a theory is just an opinion that you have about something you can't prove."
The person using this fallacy is basing their statement on a specific definition of the word "theory" while
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