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

Derived Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of dialectical

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

Explanation

Dialectical describes how someone goes about finding the truth. If you're an investigative journalist, you probably use dialectical reasoning. You might think dialectical refers to how people speak in a certain region or in a specific group, such as a regional accent. That version of dialect comes from the Greek word dialektos, meaning "discourse, way of speaking." But dialectical instead comes from the French word dialecte, meaning "denoting the art of investigating the truth of opinions." It has to do with a method of reasoning used to determine the truth.