modus ponens

n. In logic, the idea that if the first part of a conditional statement is true, then the second part is also true. Thus if the statement "If X then Y" is true, then if we know that if X is true, we also know that Y is true. And so if the statement "Burning things are hot" is true and we know that a thing is burning, we also know that the thing is hot. Also called affirming the antecedent.