dialectic

American  

[dahy-uh-lek-tik] / ˌdaɪ əˈlɛk tɪk /

adjective

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

2. dialectal.

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noun

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

2. logical argumentation.

3. Often dialectics.

   1. logic or any of its branches.

   2. any formal system of reasoning or thought.

4. Hegelian dialectic.

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

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

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

dialectic British  

/ ˌdaɪəˈlɛktɪk /

noun

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

2. philosophy

   1. the conversational Socratic method of argument

   2. (in Plato) the highest study, that of the Forms

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

4. philosophy the process of reconciliation of contradiction either of beliefs or in historical processes See also Hegelian dialectic dialectical materialism

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adjective

1. of or relating to logical disputation

Other Word Forms

• dialectically adverb
• dialectician noun
• nondialectic adjective

Etymology

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

Explanation

Dialectic is a formal system of reasoning that arrives at the truth through the exchange of logical arguments. Dialectic is a process of examining an issue using very careful steps. A "thesis," or argument, is offered, followed by the "antithesis," or counterargument. The goal is to extract the best points from each of these to form a "synthesis." This in turn is used as a new argument, followed by counterargument, and the process continues, hopefully getting closer and closer to the truth, or at least something everyone can agree upon.

Example Sentences

She uses motifs to emphasize the dialectic of continuity and change, such as the portrait that acts as an unchanging backdrop to family meals even as other once-priceless objects are sold off.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

There’s a kind of dialectic, dual track of braiding of hope and futility that runs all the way through the book.

From Salon • May 28, 2025

“This year’s recipients reflect the inevitable dialectic between individual creativity and community in the life of the arts.”

From Seattle Times • Mar. 16, 2023

But it’s in “The Guest Lecture,” his second novel, that the dialectic between fantasy and figures, consciousness and bodies, takes its most affecting form.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2023

His implacable marshaling of facts and his logic had something of a new dialectic, diabolic in its force.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey