argumentative

[ ahr-gyuh-men-tuh-tiv ]
See synonyms for: argumentativeargumentativeness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. fond of or given to argument and dispute; disputatious; contentious: The law students were an unusually argumentative group.

  2. of or characterized by argument; controversial: an argumentative attitude toward political issues.

  1. Law. arguing or containing arguments suggesting that a certain fact tends toward a certain conclusion.

Origin of argumentative

1
First recorded in 1635–45; argument + -ative

Other words from argumentative

  • ar·gu·men·ta·tive·ly, adverb
  • ar·gu·men·ta·tive·ness, noun
  • non·ar·gu·men·ta·tive, adjective
  • non·ar·gu·men·ta·tive·ly, adverb
  • non·ar·gu·men·ta·tive·ness, noun
  • o·ver·ar·gu·men·ta·tive, adjective
  • o·ver·ar·gu·men·ta·tive·ly, adverb
  • o·ver·ar·gu·men·ta·tive·ness, noun
  • un·ar·gu·men·ta·tive, adjective
  • un·ar·gu·men·ta·tive·ly, adverb
  • un·ar·gu·men·ta·tive·ness, noun

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

How to use argumentative in a sentence

  • He was as peaceful as a backwater bay in summer; non-argumentative and passive, he stood his watch in fair weather and foul.

    The Million Dollar Mystery | Harold MacGrath

British Dictionary definitions for argumentative

argumentative

/ (ˌɑːɡjʊˈmɛntətɪv) /


adjective
  1. given to arguing; contentious

  2. characterized by argument; controversial

Derived forms of argumentative

  • argumentatively, adverb
  • argumentativeness, noun

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