Ad feminam

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Ad feminam and Argumentum ad feminam are terms mistakenly coined, due to a misunderstanding of Latin, as the female counterparts to (Argumentum) ad hominem.

The Latin homo refers to all humans; ad hominem is therefore a gender-neutral term (the male-specific term, if it existed, would be ad virum). However, a misconception that the term ad hominem pertains specifically to the male sex has caused the neologism ad feminam to be coined as the supposed female equivalent. The use of ad feminam may thus be considered erroneous or redundant, as in the following contexts:

• "… in which both or multiple parties … avoid ad hominem and ad feminam judgements …" (Barbara Levy Simon)
• "Almost any ad hominem (or, in this case, ad feminam) response …" (Marsha M. Linehan)

Fallacies of relevance
Accident • Ad nauseam • Base rate fallacy • Chronological snobbery • Compound question • Fallacy of many questions • False compromise • Naturalistic fallacy • Proof by assertion • Irrelevant conclusion • Special pleading • Straw man • Two wrongs make a right
Appeals to emotion
Fear • Flattery • Novelty • Queerness • Pity • Ridicule • Spite • Wishful thinking
Genetic fallacies
Ad hominem (Ad hominem tu quoque) • Appeal to authority • Appeal to motive • Appeal to tradition • Argumentum ad crumenam • Argumentum ad lazarum • Association fallacy • Ipsedixitism • Poisoning the well • Reductio ad Hitlerum