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argument

noun
ar·​gu·​ment | \ ˈär-gyÉ™-mÉ™nt How to pronounce argument (audio) \

Definition of argument

1a : the act or process of arguing, reasoning, or discussing : argumentation
b : a coherent series of reasons, statements, or facts intended to support or establish a point of view a defense attorney's closing argument
c : an angry quarrel or disagreement having an argument over/about money trying to settle an argument
2a : a reason given for or against a matter under discussion They presented their arguments in favor of the proposal.
b : a form of rhetorical expression intended to convince or persuade
3 : an abstract (see abstract entry 2 sense 1) or summary especially of a literary work
4 : the subject matter especially of a literary work
5a mathematics : one of the independent variables upon whose value that of a function depends
b grammar : a substantive (such as the direct object of a transitive verb) that is required by a predicate in grammar
c mathematics : amplitude sense 4
6 obsolete : an outward sign : indication
Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about argument

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Examples of argument in a Sentence

They made a compelling argument for our participation. The committee presented strong arguments against building a new school. a lawyer's closing argument at the trial His argument did not convince his opponents. Let us accept, for the sake of argument, that she is right. Don't you want to hear both sides of the argument? They were always getting into arguments about politics. There were many arguments about the new design. They settled an argument that started in class. I don't want to hear any arguments about whether you'll go.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 The clear demonstration that a sixth finger can shift and expand the function of the hand is a strong argument for the ability of the human brain to control machines more complex than the human body. — Tom Roseberry, Scientific American, "Studying the Superhuman," 4 Sep. 2019 Concerns over privacy could be a valid argument against releasing driver names, said New York University business school professor Arun Sundararajan. — Josh Eidelson, Fortune, "Uber and Lyft Say Their Drivers’ Names Are ‘Trade Secrets,’ and Chicago City Officials Agreed," 3 Sep. 2019 Those arguments, in essence, boil down to the idea that allowing a climate debate will alter the status quo of establishment politics, which makes the DNC uneasy. — Natasha Geiling, The New Republic, "Make Democratic Leaders Pay for Their Climate Cowardice," 3 Sep. 2019 In the interest of defusing the argument, moderate lawmakers have tended to buckle in the past to the views of their more ardent, anti-Europe colleagues. — Benjamin Mueller, New York Times, "Britain’s Conservatives Erupt Into Civil War as Unlikely Rebels Defy Boris Johnson," 3 Sep. 2019 Concerns over privacy could be a valid argument against releasing driver names, said New York University business school professor Arun Sundararajan. — Los Angeles Times, "Uber argues drivers’ names are ‘closely guarded trade secret’," 3 Sep. 2019 Adams has made a convincing argument to be retained, though, based on his strong preseason. — Aaron Wilson, Houston Chronicle, "Texans' Jerell Adams catches second preseason touchdown," 29 Aug. 2019 Primal Screams does not make a mono-causal argument. — Nr Interview, National Review, "Identity Politics Runs Much Deeper than Politics," 27 Aug. 2019 This would be a slam-dunk argument if Audible were generating PDFs of entire books and distributing them to customers alongside the audio files. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Book publishers sue Audible to stop new speech-to-text feature," 24 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'argument.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of argument

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 6

History and Etymology for argument

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin argumentum, from arguere — see argue

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More Definitions for argument

argument

noun
How to pronounce argument (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of argument

: a statement or series of statements for or against something
: a discussion in which people express different opinions about something
: an angry disagreement

See the full definition for argument in the English Language Learners Dictionary

argument

noun
ar·​gu·​ment | \ ˈär-gyÉ™-mÉ™nt How to pronounce argument (audio) \

Kids Definition of argument

1 : an angry disagreement : quarrel
2 : a reason for or against something There's a strong argument for changing the law.
3 : a discussion in which reasons for and against something are given Let's hear both sides of the argument.

argument

noun

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