In rhetoric, an ad hominem (“to the man”) is an attack, not on the argument itself, but on the person making it. It is, in simpler words, an attempt to shoot the messenger. When Winston Churchill ...
The Atlantic: The New 'Strict Prohibition on Ad Hominem' at the Huffington Post Yesterday, The Huffington Post yanked conservative firebrand Andrew Breitbart from the front page of its publication, citing his "false ad hominem" attacks made in a Daily Caller interview as the ... Ad hominem literally means “to the person” in New Latin (Latin as used since the end of the medieval period). Ad hominem (Latin for 'to the person'), short for argumentum ad hominem, refers to several types of arguments where the speaker attacks the character, motive, or some other attribute of the person making an argument rather than the substance of the argument itself. Ad hominem, type of argument or attack that appeals to prejudice or feelings or irrelevantly impugns another person’s character instead of addressing the facts or claims made by the latter.
ad hominem ads, The argument soon descends into ad hominem. To say that his sexual indiscretions discredit his position on the war is to commit an ad hominem. No ad hominem, please. AD HOMINEM definition: attacking an opponent's character or motives rather than answering the argument or claim. See examples of ad hominem used in a sentence.
