Wiktionary

argumentative

English

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WOTD – 17 June 2020

Etymology

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From Late Middle English argumentatif (“syllogistic, sophistic”),[1] from Old French argumentatif, argumentative (modern French argumentatif (“argumentative”)) and Medieval Latin, Late Latin argūmentātīvus,[2] from Latin argūmentātor + -īvus (suffix forming adjectives).

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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argumentative (comparative more argumentative, superlative most argumentative)

  1. Of or relating to argumentation; specifically, presenting a logical argument or line of reasoning; argumentive, discursive.
    Synonyms: (archaic) argumentary, discursory
    • 1783, Hugh Blair, “Lecture XXXII. Conduct of a Discourse—The Argumentative Part—The Pathetic Part—The Peroration.”, in Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres, volume II, London: W[illiam] Strahan; T[homas] Cadell, […]; Edinburgh: W[illiam] Creech, →OCLC, page 179:
      I proceed next to treat of the argumentative or reaſoning Part of a Diſcourſe. In whatever place, or on whatever ſubject one ſpeaks, this beyond doubt is of the greateſt conſequence.
    • 1793, Matthew Bacon [i.e., Mathew Bacon], T. Cunningham, “Demurrer”, in A New Abridgment of the Law, […] In Five Volumes. […], 6th edition, volume IV, Dublin: Luke White, →OCLC:
      There muſt be a Special Demurrer to a Negative Pregnant, that is, a Negative Plea, which doth alſo contain in it an Affirmative; and to an Argumentative Plea, that is a Plea which concludes nothing directly, but only by Way of Argument or Reaſoning, for the Court will intend every Plea to be good till the contrary doth appear.
    • 1812 June, “Art. IV.—Sermons on Various Subjects, Doctrinal and Practical, Preached before the University of Oxford. By John Eveleigh, […] 8vo. pp. 441. Oxford; Cooke and Parker. [book review]”, in John Taylor Coleridge, editor, The Quarterly Review, volume VII, number XIV, London: […] John Murray, […], →OCLC, page 293:
      Discourses to an academical audience ought undoubtedly to be of a more learned and recondite class than those which are addressed to ordinary congregations. They should be mostly of the argumentative cast; rather adapted to inform the understandings and exercise the reasoning faculties of the hearers, than to awaken the affections or work upon the passions.
    • 1911, “The Twelve Questions or Arguments against Impanation: July? 1525”, in Chester David Hartranft, editor, Letters and Treatises of Caspar Schwenckfeld von Ossig: June 11, 1524–1527 (Corpus Schwenckfeldianorum; II), Norristown, Pa.: Board of Publication of the Schwenckfelder Church; Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, →OCLC, page 129:
      Yet with all its straight-forwardness and argumentative rigor, its prime motive was the loving desire to bring back, if not absolute identity of thought and teaching, certainly an obedience to what is the essence of Christian life, brotherly love and the mutuality which requires freedom and toleration.
    • 2007, Eric-Hans Kramer, “Leadership and the Internal Structure of Argumentation”, in Stewart R. Clegg, Ralph Stablein, editors, Organizing Doubt: Grounded Theory, Army Units and Dealing with Dynamic Complexity (Advances in Organizaton Studies), Malmö, Sweden: Liber; Copenhagen, Denmark: Copenhagen Business School Press, →ISBN, part III (Analytical Framework: Organizing Doubt in an Organizational System), page 130:
      The previous chapter discussed the external structure of argumentation, that is to say, it was concerned with the prerequisites for a meaningful argumentative process. [...] [T]his chapter will discuss the relation between leadership and argumentation and will deal with the issue of how leadership can influence the argumentative process in a positive way.
  2. Prone to argue or dispute.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:quarrelsome
    Antonyms: nonargumentative, unargumentative
    • 1826, Malachi Malagrowther [pseudonym; Walter Scott], A Letter to the Editor of the Edinburgh Weekly Journal, […] on the Proposed Rate of Currency, and Other Late Alterations, as They Affect, or are Intended to Affect, the Kingdom of Scotland, 2nd edition, Edinburgh: […] William Blackwood, […]; London: T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, page 30:
      Your host was in his turn eloquent,—authoritative,—facetious,—argumentative,—precatory,—pathetic, above all, pertinacious.
    • 1998, Roberta L. Kosberg, Andrew S. Rancer, “Enhancing Argumentativeness and Argumentative Behavior: The Influence of Gender and Training”, in Linda Longmire, Lisa Merrill, editors, Untying the Tongue: Gender, Power, and the Word (Contributions in Women’s Studies; no. 164), Westport, Conn., London: Greenwood Press, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 254:
      He found that in an argumentative discussion, when an adversary responded argumentatively, male and female subjects did not differ in their preference for message strategies. However, when the adversary responded with verbal aggression, male and female subjects differed in their responses; female subjects were more likely to select an argumentative strategy, while male subjects were more likely to select verbally aggressive strategies.
    • 2004, Wendy L. Moss, “Externalized Disorders: ADHD; Oppositional Defiant Disorder; Conduct Disorder and Bullying”, in Children Don’t Come with an Instruction Manual: A Teacher’s Guide to Problems that Affect Learners, New York, N.Y., London: Teachers College Press, →ISBN, page 112:
      Ten-year-old Maryann, for example, was described by her teacher as "manipulative, argumentative, and uncooperative" because she frequently argued about the value of assignments given to her in class. [...] At home, Maryann was often argumentative, as she questioned and broke rules and commented that her siblings got more "respect" and more "freedom."

Derived terms

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Translations

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References

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  1. ^ “argūmentātī̆f, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ^ “argumentative, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022; compare “argumentative, adj.”, in OED Online  ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1885.

Further reading

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French

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Adjective

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argumentative

  1. feminine singular of argumentatif

German

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Pronunciation

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Adjective

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argumentative

  1. inflection of argumentativ:
    1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
    2. strong nominative/accusative plural
    3. weak nominative all-gender singular
    4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular
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