argumentative

[ahr-gyuh-men-tuh-tiv]

adjective

1. fond of or given to argument and dispute; disputatious; contentious.

   The law students were an unusually argumentative group.

2. of or characterized by argument; controversial.

   an argumentative attitude toward political issues.

3. Law.,  arguing or containing arguments suggesting that a certain fact tends toward a certain conclusion.

argumentative

/ ˌɑːɡjʊˈmɛntətɪv /

adjective

1. given to arguing; contentious

2. characterized by argument; controversial

Other Word Forms

• argumentatively adverb
• argumentativeness noun
• nonargumentative adjective
• nonargumentatively adverb
• nonargumentativeness noun
• overargumentative adjective
• overargumentatively adverb
• overargumentativeness noun
• unargumentative adjective
• unargumentatively adverb
• unargumentativeness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of argumentative¹

First recorded in 1635–45; argument + -ative

Example Sentences

“I feel like this is unnecessarily argumentative. What is your question?”

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Marten refused to attend court one day after she had become "very argumentative and abusive to the staff in prison", according to the note from HMP Bronzefield.

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He was never petulant, argumentative or stubborn – though I knew he was easily capable of those emotions.

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Since his argumentative three-party governing coalition collapsed in November, he had been reliant on support from the opposition conservatives to pass any new laws, effectively rendering his administration a lame-duck government.

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Investigators noted at the time that he was argumentative.

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Related Words

• belligerent 
• combative 
• contentious 
• opinionated