| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| argument |
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| SYLLABICATION: | ar·gu·ment |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  är gy -mnt |
| NOUN: | 1a. A discussion in which disagreement is expressed; a debate. b. A quarrel; a dispute. c. Archaic A reason or matter for dispute or contention: “sheath'd their swords for lack of argument” (Shakespeare). 2a. A course of reasoning aimed at demonstrating truth or falsehood: presented a careful argument for extraterrestrial life. b. 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. c. A set of statements in which one follows logically as a conclusion from the others. 3a. A summary or short statement of the plot or subject of a literary work. b. A topic; a subject: “You and love are still my argument” (Shakespeare). 4. Logic The minor premise in a syllogism. 5. Mathematics a. The independent variable of a function. b. The angle of a complex number measured from the positive horizontal axis. 6. Computer Science A value used to evaluate a procedure or subroutine. 7. Linguistics In generative grammar, any of various positions occupied by a noun phrase in a sentence. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English, from Old French, from Latin arg mentum, from arguere, to make clear. See argue. | | 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.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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