Arguing

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈɑː(ɹ).ɡju.ɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Expressing disagreement or debating a point in conversation or discussion
2. Engaging in a verbal exchange to present reasons for or against a statement
3. Participating in a dispute or formal discussion by stating and defending opinions

Etymology: The surprising thing about "arguing" is how far it has drifted from its Latin ancestor. The Latin "arguere" meant "to make clear, prove, show" or even "to accuse," so the verb once pointed toward demonstration and proof rather than quarrelling. Over centuries, English speakers came to use the verb for the heated exchange that follows when people try to prove a point to each other. The word came into English through Old French "arguer," which carried the same range of meanings from Latin. Middle English speakers borrowed the verb as "arguen," and it gradually pushed out the native Old English words "flītan" and "reċċan," which had meant something close to quarrelling or scolding. So the everyday sense of disagreeing loudly is the one that finally won out, while the older Latin sense of making something plain survives mostly in the idea of an argument as a line of reasoning.

Synonyms: debating, disputing, contending, reasoning, discussing

Antonyms: agreeing, conceding, accepting, yielding, comprising