deductive.

Using reasoning in which a conclusion follows necessarily if the premises are true.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• deductive argument
• deductive reasoning

On the page

The argument is deductive, though one premise remains disputed.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Normally non-gradable; no ordinary comparative or superlative. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: analysis, qualification. Commonness: moderately common.