A deductive argument in which either the conclusion or a premise is implied instead of explicitly stated is referred to as which of the following?

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In the context of deductive reasoning, an enthymeme is a type of argument where one of the premises or the conclusion is implied rather than explicitly stated. This form of reasoning is often used in everyday speech because it requires the audience to fill in the missing part, making the argument more concise.

Enthymemes typically have a stated premise followed by a conclusion, but the second premise or either the conclusion can be left unstated, assuming that the audience shares the same background knowledge or beliefs needed to complete the argument. This makes enthymemes particularly effective in persuasive communication where the speaker or writer can rely on the audience's understanding to infer the missing elements, leading to a more engaging exchange.

In contrast, the other options represent different concepts: equivocation refers to a misleading use of a term that has multiple meanings; literal analogy involves a comparison based on similarities that are directly comparable; and figurative analogy looks at comparisons that highlight similarities between unlike things but are not to be taken literally. Each of these does not fit the description of an argument missing an explicit premise or conclusion as an enthymeme does.

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