Argumentation Vocabulary

verb to struggle in opposition or against difficulties; to strive in rivalry; to assert or maintain earnestly

• The two candidates will contend for the position of mayor in the upcoming election.
• The teams will have to contend for the championship title in the final match.
• I heard those two are going to contend for the last piece of pizza.
• She had to contend for her place in the male-dominated industry.

adjective capable of being disputed or argued about

• The scientific evidence presented makes the hypothesis disputable.
• There's a lot of back and forth on this issue, it's pretty disputable.
• Honestly, that claim is so sketchy, it's totally disputable.
• Her version of events is so twisted, it's highly disputable.

adjective without any basis in reason or fact; unfounded

• The accusation against him was completely groundless and lacked any evidence.
• She made a groundless assumption about his intentions without knowing the full story.
• Don't believe those groundless rumors going around about her, they're just gossip.
• His arguments were so weak and groundless that they crumbled under scrutiny.

verb to challenge or question the validity or honesty of something

• The evidence presented by the defense effectively impugned the credibility of the witness.
• She impugned his motives by suggesting he had a hidden agenda.
• Don't listen to him, he's just trying to impugn your reputation.
• The storm clouds impugned the otherwise sunny day with a sense of impending doom.

verb to make an effort or attempt

• The committee put forth a proposal to increase funding for the arts.
• She put forth her best effort in completing the project on time.
• I put forth my two cents during the meeting.
• He put forth a convincing argument in favor of the new policy.

noun a refutation or contradiction of a statement or evidence

verb to refute or contradict a statement or evidence by providing evidence or arguments

• The defense attorney was able to rebut the prosecution's argument with solid evidence.
• I can easily rebut your claim with facts and logic.
• I totally shut him down when he tried to argue with me, I rebutted him so hard.
• Her success in the face of adversity served as a powerful rebuttal to all her doubters.

verb to prove a statement or theory to be wrong or false

• The scientist presented evidence to refute the theory proposed by his colleague.
• I tried to refute his argument, but he wouldn't listen to reason.
• I totally shut down his point with facts to refute it.
• She used her success to refute the doubters and prove them wrong.

verb to cite as evidence or proof in an argument or discussion

• The lawyer will adduce evidence to support her argument in court.
• She will adduce examples from the study to prove her point.
• He's always trying to adduce some excuse for being late.
• You can adduce the success of the project as proof of your leadership skills.

noun a supporting or auxiliary piece of evidence or information

adjective providing support or assistance

• The adminicle of evidence presented in court helped strengthen the prosecution's case.
• The adminicle of information I found online confirmed my suspicions.
• I don't need any adminicles to know that he's lying.
• Her kindness was an adminicle in navigating through the difficulties of life.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence

• The theory admits of multiple interpretations based on the evidence presented.
• The recipe admits of a few substitutions if you don't have all the ingredients.
• His excuse admits of no further discussion, it's just plain ridiculous.
• The artwork admits of various emotional responses from viewers.