dialectical

[ dahy-uh-lek-ti-kuhl ]

adjective

1. dialectic.
2. of or characteristic of a dialect; dialectal.

dialectical

/ ˌdaɪəˈlɛktɪkəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to dialectic or dialectics

Usage Note

See dialectal.

Derived Forms

• ˌdiaˈlectically, adverb

Other Words From

• nondi·a·lecti·cal adjective
• nondi·a·lecti·cal·ly adverb
• undi·a·lecti·cal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dialectical¹

First recorded in 1520–30; dialectic + -al ¹

Example Sentences

An appreciation of the theater as a dialectical art form that puts perspectives into collision.

From Los Angeles Times

In my own life, I find myself thinking about the philosophy underpinning dialectical behavior therapy, an approach designed for the most challenging situations and intense emotions: learning to simultaneously wholeheartedly accept and change.

From Los Angeles Times

Akhtar reanimates this dialectical discussion of artistic freedom in the fraught context of AI.

From Los Angeles Times

Byrne, playing opposite himself, brings these sides of Beckett’s consciousness to dialectical life.

From Los Angeles Times

But there's words that I've never used before, which were really difficult for me to learn when you have to say things like 'Commandant' or 'public execution' or 'dialectical materialism.'

From Salon