Related Terms • philosophy • fallacy

Definition:
The fallacy of equivocation is an informal fallacy which occurs whenever a single term is used with two or more meanings in the same argument.

The term equivocation comes from the Latin terms equi (equal) and vox (voice). When a term is used univocally in an argument, it always has the same meaning. But, when it is use equivocally, more than one meaning is given equal voice. Here is an amusing example of an argument using this fallacy:

It is well known that the average family has 2.5 children (premise #1).
Well, Jane's family is very average (premise #2), so they must have 2.5 children (conclusion).

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Related Resources:

What is the Logic and the Philosophy of Language?
The two fields Logic and the Philosophy of Language are often treated separately, but they are nevertheless close enough that they are presented together here. Logic is the study of methods of reasoning and argumentation, both proper and improper. The Philosophy of Language, on the other hand, involves the study of how our language interacts with our thinking.

What is Philosophy?
What is philosophy? Is there any point in studying philosophy, or is it a useless subject? What are the different branches of philosophy - what's the difference between aestheitcs and ethics? What's the difference between metaphysics and epistemology?