n. [ F. sophiste, L. sophistes, fr. Gr. &unr_;. See Sophism. ] 1. One of a class of men who taught eloquence, philosophy, and politics in ancient Greece; especially, one of those who, by their fallacious but plausible reasoning, puzzled inquirers after truth, weakened the faith of the people, and drew upon themselves general hatred and contempt. [ 1913 Webster ]

Many of the Sophists doubdtless card not for truth or morality, and merely professed to teach how to make the worse appear the better reason; but there scems no reason to hold that they were a special class, teaching special opinions; even Socrates and Plato were sometimes styled Sophists. Liddell & Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence, an impostor in argument; a captious or fallacious reasoner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A sophist. See Sophist. [ Obs. ] Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Eng. Univ.) A student who is advanced beyond the first year of his residence. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The entire course at the university consists of three years and one term, during which the students have the titles of first-year men, or freshmen; second-year men or junior sophs or sophisters; third-year men, or senior sophs or sophisters; and, in the last term, questionists, with reference to the approaching examination. In the older American colleges, the junior and senior classes were originally called, and in some of them are still called, junior sophisters and senior sophisters. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To maintain by sophistry, or by a fallacious argument. [ Obs. ] obham. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ }, a. [ L. sophisticus, Gr. &unr_;: cf. F. sophistique. ] Of or pertaining to a sophist; embodying sophistry; fallaciously subtile; not sound. [ 1913 Webster ]

His argument . . . is altogether sophistical. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- So*phis"tic*al*ly, adv. -- So*phis"tic*al*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Sophisticated p. pr. & vb. n. Sophisticating. ] [ LL. sophisticatus, p. p. of sophisticare to sophisticate. ] To render worthless by admixture; to adulterate; to damage; to pervert; as, to sophisticate wine. Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]

To sophisticate the understanding. Southey. [ 1913 Webster ]

Yet Butler professes to stick to plain facts, not to sophisticate, not to refine. M. Arnold. [ 1913 Webster ]

They purchase but sophisticated ware. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To adulterate; debase; corrupt; vitiate. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Adulterated; not pure; not genuine. [ 1913 Webster ]

So truth, while only one supplied the state,
Grew scare and dear, and yet sophisticate. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. LL. sophisticatio, F. sophistication. ] The act of sophisticating; adulteration; as, the sophistication of drugs. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who sophisticates. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. sophistrie, OF. sophisterie. ] 1. The art or process of reasoning; logic. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The practice of a sophist; fallacious reasoning; reasoning sound in appearance only. [ 1913 Webster ]

The juggle of sophistry consists, for the most part, in usig a word in one sense in the premise, and in another sense in the conclusion. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- See Fallacy. [ 1913 Webster ]