dialectical

American  

[dahy-uh-lek-ti-kuhl] / ˌdaɪ əˈlɛk tɪ kəl /

adjective

1. dialectic.

2. of or characteristic of a dialect; dialectal.

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dialectical British  

/ ˌdaɪəˈlɛktɪkəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to dialectic or dialectics

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Usage

See dialectal.

Other Word Forms

• dialectically adverb
• nondialectical adjective
• nondialectically adverb
• undialectical adjective

Etymology

Origin of dialectical

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

Example Sentences

That was not, in Hobsbawm’s analysis, a straight-up clash between good and evil or enlightenment and darkness; he was a non-dogmatic Marxist, always attuned to the nuanced dialectical relationship between historical forces.

From Salon

I go back to this idea that comes from dialectical behavioral therapy: Two things can be true.

From Los Angeles Times

The most thrilling moments in my years of teaching drama have come when in the dialectical heat of class discussion, a new way of understanding a scene or a character’s psychology emerges from conflicting perspectives.

From Los Angeles Times

He recently participated in a 10-week dialectical behavior therapy class, but he didn’t get the connection and support he received in past in-person group settings, he said.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Los Angeles Times