LessonsKinds of Argument: Syllogism, Premises, Conclusion and Three TermsQuiz

The minor term is the concept that serves as the subject of the conclusion. In the source’s example, it is human in “Every human is a body.” The same term appears in the minor premise “Every human is a living creature.” Start with the conclusion when searching for it.
The major term is the predicate of the conclusion. In “Every human is a body,” body is the major term and appears in the major premise. The label “major” is a logical role; it does not say that the term denotes a physically large object.

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Minor term and major term

Kinds of Argument: Syllogism, Premises, Conclusion and Three Terms

The minor term is the concept that serves as the subject of the conclusion. In the source’s example, it is human in “Every human is a body.” The same term appears in the minor premise “Every human is a living creature.” Start with the conclusion when searching for it.
The major term is the predicate of the conclusion. In “Every human is a body,” body is the major term and appears in the major premise. The label “major” is a logical role; it does not say that the term denotes a physically large object.