dialectic

[ dahy-uh-lek-tik ]

/ ˌdaɪ əˈlɛk tɪk /

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See synonyms for: dialectic / dialectics on Thesaurus.com

adjective Also dialectical.

of, relating to, or of the nature of logical argumentation.

dialectal.

noun

the art or practice of logical discussion as employed in investigating the truth of a theory or opinion.

logical argumentation.

Often dialectics.

logic or any of its branches.
any formal system of reasoning or thought.

Hegelian dialectic.

dialectics, (often used with a singular verb) the arguments or bases of dialectical materialism, including the elevation of matter over mind and a constantly changing reality with a material basis.

(in Kantian epistemology) a fallacious metaphysical system arising from the attribution of objective reality to the perceptions by the mind of external objects.Compare transcendental dialectic.

the juxtaposition or interaction of conflicting ideas, forces, etc.

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Origin of dialectic

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (from Anglo-French ), from Latin dialectica, from Greek dialektikḗ (téchnē) “argumentative (art),” feminine of dialektikós; see dialect, -ic

OTHER WORDS FROM dialectic

di·a·lec·ti·cal·ly, adverbnon·di·a·lec·tic, adjective, noun

Words nearby dialectic

dial down, dialect, dialectal, dialect atlas, dialect geography, dialectic, dialectical, dialectical materialism, dialectical theology, dialectician, dialecticism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dialectic in a sentence

This matter is, in the Indian dialectic of beauty, nonnegotiable.
Miss America, Meet India’s ‘Dark’ Side|Tunku Varadarajan|September 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
His (mis)reading of the Megilla power dialectic meant tragedy for all.
Purim Perils: His View Is His Own|Rabbi Daniel Landes|February 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He had five-year plans and seven-year plans by the bushel-full, and he never lost faith in the dialectic.
Rich Man's Revolutionary|Michael Tomasky|October 13, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Islam is 1,400 years old; fascism entered the dialectic only with Benito Mussolini.
Why the Mosque Scares the Right|M.J. Akbar|August 14, 2010|DAILY BEAST

They are the yin and the yang of the whole film and they dance the dialectic to perfection.
Polanski's Brilliant Comeback|Simon Schama|February 18, 2010|DAILY BEAST
One other illustration of this keen childish dialectic when face to face with the accuser deserves to be touched on.
Children's Ways|James Sully
As in the later days of Greece, rhetoric and dialectic are the most powerful of the arts.
The New Society|Walther Rathenau
In the Anglican doctorPage 119 it employs the dialectic and metaphysics of Aristotle.
Colleges in America|John Marshall Barker
The latter is a composition of the literary German with dialectic forms, and his rhythms are halting, his ideas one-sided.
The History of Yiddish Literature in the Nineteenth Century|Leo Wiener
He wrote extensively not only on medicine, but on philosophy, his writings taking throughout a more or less dialectic character.
An Epitome of the History of Medicine|Roswell Park

British Dictionary definitions for dialectic

dialectic

/ (ˌdaɪəˈlɛktɪk) /

noun

disputation or debate, esp intended to resolve differences between two views rather than to establish one of them as true

philosophy

the conversational Socratic method of argument
(in Plato) the highest study, that of the Forms

(in the writings of Kant) the exposure of the contradictions implicit in applying empirical concepts beyond the limits of experience

philosophy the process of reconciliation of contradiction either of beliefs or in historical processesSee also Hegelian dialectic, dialectical materialism

adjective

of or relating to logical disputation

Derived forms of dialectic

dialectician, noun

Word Origin for dialectic

C17: from Latin dialectica, from Greek dialektikē (tekhnē) (the art) of argument; see dialect

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

dialectic

Origin of dialectic

OTHER WORDS FROM dialectic

Words nearby dialectic

Words related to dialectic

How to use dialectic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dialectic

Derived forms of dialectic

Word Origin for dialectic