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Fallacy Library Appeal to Authority
Informal fallacy Commonly Used Fallacy

Appeal to Authority

Treats a claim as true mainly because an authority figure or expert said it, without enough supporting evidence.

Definition

Treats a claim as true mainly because an authority figure or expert said it, without enough supporting evidence.

Example
A famous actor says this supplement works, so it must be medically effective.
Extended explanation

How to think about it:

Treats a claim as true mainly because an authority figure or expert said it, without enough supporting evidence. In practice, the key question is whether the conclusion is supported by evidence and logic, or whether it depends on this reasoning shortcut instead.

Related entries

Related by logic, rhetoric, or real-world co-occurrence

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