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argument

noun
/ˈɑːɡjʊmənt/UK/ˈɑɹɡjʊmənt/US/ɑ(r).ɡ(j)ʊ.mɛɳʈ/

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin arguō Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-məntom Latin -mentum Latin argūmentum Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin argūmentorder. Old French argumenterbor. Middle English argumenten English argument The obsolete senses are derived from Middle English argumenten (“to argue, discuss; to consider, reflect”), from Old French argumenter (“to argue”), from Latin argūmentārī (“to adduce arguments or proof, prove, reason; to adduce (something) as argument or proof; to conclude”), from argūmentum (“argument (for a position); evidence, proof; point, theme; thesis, topic; plot (in theatre)”) (see further at etymology 1) + -or (the first-person singular present passive indicative of -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs)). The current sense is derived from the noun.

  1. derived from argumentum
  2. derived from arguement
  3. inherited from argument

Definitions

  1. A fact or statement used to support a proposition

    A fact or statement used to support a proposition; a reason.

    • Says Plowdon [i.e., Edmund Plowden], the whale so caught belongs to the King and Queen, “because of its superior excellence.” And by the soundest commentators this has ever been held a cogent argument in such matters.

  2. A process of reasoning

    A process of reasoning; argumentation.

    • For if the Idea be not agreed on, betwixt the Speaker and Hearer, for which the Words ſtand, the Argument is not about Things, but Names.
    • I shuddered when I thought of the possible consequences of my consent; but I felt that there was some justice in his argument.

  3. An abstract or summary of the content of a literary work such as a book, a poem or a…

    An abstract or summary of the content of a literary work such as a book, a poem or a major section such as a chapter, included in the work before the content itself; (figuratively) the contents themselves.

    • If I would broach the veſſels of my loue, / And try the argument of hearts, by borrowing, / Men, and mens fortunes, could I frankely vſe / As I can bid thee ſpeake.
  4. ›+ 13 more definitions

    1. A verbal dispute

      A verbal dispute; a quarrel.

      • The neighbours got into an argument about the branches of the trees that extended over the fence.
      • In argument with men a woman ever / Goes by the worſe, whatever be her cauſe.

    2. Any dispute, altercation, or collision.

      • Steve got in a physical argument with his neighbor and came away with a black eye.
      • While biking home, he got in an argument with the pavement.
      • D5131 has received extensive cab damage, having been in an argument with Class 37 D6855 at Inverness in August 1971 - one of two accidents that occurred there on August 20.

    3. Any of the phrases that bear a syntactic connection to the verb of a clause.

    4. The independent variable of a function.

    5. The phase of a complex number.

    6. A quantity on which the calculation of another quantity depends.

      • The altitude is the argument of the refraction.

    7. A value, or a reference to a value, passed to a function.

      • Parameters are like labelled fillable blanks used to define a function whereas arguments are passed to a function when calling it, filling in those blanks.

    8. A parameter at a function call

      A parameter at a function call; an actual parameter, as opposed to a formal parameter.

    9. A matter in question

      A matter in question; a business in hand.

      • As neere as I could ſift him on that argument, On ſome apparent danger ſeene in him, Aimde at your highnes, no inueterate malice.
      • On, on, you Nobliſh Engliſh, / Whoſe blood is fet from Fathers of Warre-proofe: / Fathers, that like ſo many Alexanders, / Haue in theſe parts from Morne till Euen fought, / And ſheath’d their Swords, for lack of argument.

    10. The subject matter of an artistic representation, discourse, or writing

      The subject matter of an artistic representation, discourse, or writing; a theme or topic.

      • [I]n vttering the ſtuffe ye receiued of the one, in declaring the order ye tooke with the other, ye ſhall neuer lacke, neither matter, nor maner, what to write, nor how to write in this kinde of Argument.
      • Belike this ſhow imports the argument of the play.
      • O know ſweet loue I alwaies write of you, And you and loue are ſtill my argument: […]

    11. Evidence, proof

      Evidence, proof; (countable) an item of such evidence or proof.

      • [F]or louing me, by my troth it is no addition to her wit, nor no great argument of her follie, for I will be horribly in loue with her, […]

    12. To put forward as an argument

      To put forward as an argument; to argue.

    13. To adduce evidence, to provide proof.

The neighborhood

Derived

argumentable, argumental, argumentary, argumentation, argumentative, argumentatively, argumentativeness, argument form, argument-form, argument from design, argument from ignorance, argument from illusion, argument from silence, argumenthood, argumentive, argumentize, argumentless, argument mining, multiargument, sargable, an argument

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at argument. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01argument02argumentation03exchange04ellipsis05mark06boundary07zone08differences09difference

A definitional loop anchored at argument. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

9 hops · closes at argument

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA