Ad nauseam
Ad nauseam is a Latin term for argument or other discussion that has continued 'to [the point of] nausea'.[1][need quotation to verify][2] For example, the sentence "This topic has been discussed ad nauseam" signifies that the topic in question has been discussed extensively, and that those involved in the discussion have grown tired of it. The fallacy is also called argumentum ad infinitum ('to infinity'), and argument from repetition.[3]
Applicability[edit]
The term (in all three variants) is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as "an argument made repeatedly (possibly by different people) until nobody cares to discuss it any more. This may sometimes, but not always, be a form of proof by assertion."[3]
In other words, it refers not to something initially or topically unpleasant; rather, it is something discussed to the point of being so.
See also[edit]
- Ad libitum
- Big Lie
- Carthago delenda est
- Filibuster in the United States Senate
- Godwin's law
- List of Latin phrases
- Thought-terminating cliché
References[edit]
- ^ Ehrlich, Eugene (1985). Amo, Amas, Amat and More. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers. p. 25.
- ^ "ad nauseam" definitions from Dictionary.com
- ^ a b "Ad nauseam". American Heritage Dictionary. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
External links[edit]
The dictionary definition of ad nauseam at Wiktionary
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