ar·gu·ment
(äŕgyə-mənt)
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin argūmentum, from arguere, to make clear; see argue.]
noun
- A discussion in which disagreement is expressed; a debate.
- A quarrel; a dispute.
- Archaic A reason or matter for dispute or contention: “sheath'd their swords for lack of argument” (Shakespeare)
- A course of reasoning aimed at demonstrating truth or falsehood: presented a careful argument for extraterrestrial life.
- A fact or statement put forth as proof or evidence; a reason: The current low mortgage rates are an argument for buying a house now.
- A set of statements in which one follows logically as a conclusion from the others.
- A summary or short statement of the plot or subject of a literary work.
- A topic; a subject: “You and love are still my argument” (Shakespeare)
- Logic The minor premise in a syllogism.
- Mathematics
- An independent variable of a function.
- The angle of a complex number measured from the positive horizontal axis.
- Computer Science A value used to evaluate a procedure or subroutine.
- Linguistics In generative grammar, any of various positions occupied by a noun phrase in a sentence.
synonyms:
argument, dispute, controversy These nouns denote discussion involving conflicting points of view. Argument stresses the advancement by each side of facts and reasons intended to persuade the other side: Emotions are seldom swayed by argument. Dispute implies animosity: A dispute arose among union members about the terms of the new contract. Controversy applies especially to major differences of opinion involving large groups of people: The use of nuclear power is the subject of widespread controversy.
