Which premise contains the minor term?

• A. Conclusion
• B. Major premise
• C. Middle premise
• D. Minor premise

Answer: (D)

In a categorical syllogism, there are three terms: major, minor, and middle. The minor term is the subject of the conclusion, while the major term is the predicate of the conclusion, and the middle term appears in both premises but not in the conclusion. Because the minor term shows up in the conclusion as the subject, it must occur in the premise that supplies the connection for that conclusion—the minor premise. That is the premise that pairs the minor term with the middle term, forming the bridge to the major term in the second premise.

For example, if the conclusion is “All dogs are animals,” the minor term is dogs (the subject). The premises would typically be: “All dogs are mammals” (minor premise, linking dogs to the middle term mammals) and “All mammals are animals” (major premise, linking the middle term to the major term animals). Here, the term dogs appears in the minor premise, so the premise containing the minor term is the minor premise.