concludent

Concludent is an English adjective that means tending to lead to a conclusion, especially through evidence or reasoning. It describes facts, arguments, or circumstances that are persuasive enough to support forming a definite inference. While closely related to conclusive, concludent emphasizes the capacity to suggest a conclusion rather than to establish it with absolute certainty. In modern English, concludent is uncommon and is mainly found in historical, legal, or philosophical prose; contemporary writers usually prefer conclusive or decisive.

Etymology and forms: The term derives from Latin concludere “to close, conclude,” via the participle concludens. English usage has included variants such as concludant and concludent. Its use has waned since the 19th century, and it is now encountered primarily in older texts or stylistic contexts.

Usage and nuance: In legal or logical contexts, a concludent circumstance or argument is one that reasonably leads to a particular conclusion. It signals a persuasive quality rather than absolute certainty, which is why many editors prefer conclusive when describing evidence that cannot reasonably be doubted. Concludent statements are therefore part of a chain of reasoning that aims to reach a firm conclusion, without asserting it as an infallible result.

See also: Conclusion, Conclude, Conclusive, Conclusiveness.