Definition:Categorical Syllogism/Terms
Definition
There are three terms in a categorical syllogism:
Primary Term of Syllogism
The primary term of a categorical syllogism is the term that appears as the second predicate of the conclusion of the syllogism.
It also appears once in one of the premises of the syllogism, traditionally the major premise.
It is usually denoted by $P$.
Middle Term of Syllogism
The middle term of a categorical syllogism is the term that does not appear in the conclusion of the syllogism.
It appears once in each of the premises of the syllogism.
It is usually denoted by $M$.
Secondary Term of Syllogism
The secondary term of a categorical syllogism is the term that appears as the first predicate of the conclusion of the syllogism.
It also appears once in one of the premises of the syllogism, traditionally the minor premise.
It is usually denoted by $S$.
Sources
- 1965: E.J. Lemmon: Beginning Logic ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $4$: The Predicate Calculus $2$: $4$ The Syllogism
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): syllogism
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): syllogism