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What is "argue"

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argue
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
argue
verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a lawyer argues sth
▪ His lawyers argued that the charges against him were baseless.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
about
▪ This was nevertheless dependent upon his having something concrete to argue about.
▪ And this is what we basically argued about. who we were.
▪ For the last year they have been arguing about how to reverse this but they haven't done anything.
▪ We argued about Bubba all the time, for months.
▪ That told Maggie what her sister and brother-in-law were arguing about.
▪ They used to argue about which condition was worse, each blessed with the energy which only the self-righteous possess.
▪ The treatment of tendon injuries in competition horses is much argued about amongst horse owners and equine veterinary surgeons.
▪ It is the first draft - one which the officials probably expected Ministers to beef up and argue about.
also
▪ It also argued for immigration controls and the repatriation of those immigrants without jobs or qualifications.
▪ Fisher also argues that, even if you know for sure that a bear market will occur, selling is dumb.
▪ Environmental groups also argue that overconsumption by the farmers has damaged many natural habitats in California.
▪ She also argued that under the Fifth Amendment, the government owed her compensation for seizing property that was partly hers.
▪ One may also argue that the situation was increasingly beyond her control.
▪ They also argued that the evidence missing at the original trial showed that some one else could have masterminded the bombing.
▪ They also argued that apparently similar outcomes can in fact be the product of a variety of different causes.
over
▪ Every clause had been argued over, it was all agreed.
▪ Instead of economic insecurity, they argued over raising the federal minimum wage.
▪ Although this has been argued over for fifty years, the size of this ancient catastrophe now seems incontrovertible.
▪ They argued over how fast each car could go and what models were better than others.
▪ Much of the Act was fiercely argued over because of the very real conflicts of opinion that exist in these areas.
▪ That is something that can be argued over in specific instances.
▪ Club officials spent half an hour arguing over who had the right to wear their first strip.
▪ Defoe's talents of impersonation and habits of secrecy have left academics to argue over what he did actually write.
■ NOUN
case
▪ In any case it is the role of the Reporter to present the evidence and argue the case before the Sheriff.
▪ Tom and Goldie came to argue their own case.
▪ It is a matter of practical importance that teachers can argue this case.
▪ Michael Gilsenan argues the case against the war.
▪ Brian Roberts argues a similar case for village planning in Durham.
▪ The hon. Gentleman can not argue his case.
▪ It was republicans who argued their case, not those who took monarchy for granted.
▪ The former argues the case of viewing relations between central and local government in terms of tensions generated by uneven development.
critic
▪ Secondly, some critics argued that the three-stage modular structure of part-time training recommended in the report might reduce flexibility in provision.
▪ Conservative critics continued to argue that the purpose of college was the propagation and the pursuit of learning.
▪ Rawls's critics argue that this attests to the irrelevance of his ideas.
▪ Such critics have argued for the imposition of transaction taxes to choke off short-term capital flows.
▪ The critics argued that for the same money they could promote a lot more lecturers to the middle rank of Reader.
▪ With 500 missiles on board, an arsenal ship would become an inviting target for opposing navies, critics argue.
others
▪ Are undermined by others arguing back.
▪ But, Gunn-Clissold said, others argued that there was little to lose.
▪ And so Kendall and others have argued that their release was in fact in the Clintons' best interest.
▪ Miller and others in the city argue that most -- about 60 percent -- of Pima County taxpayers live in the city.
▪ We and others have argued world without end that that is the only way he can have a credible fiscal policy.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
argue/talk etc till you're blue in the face
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ a well-argued case
▪ Don't argue with me, John. Just do what I tell you.
▪ Film makers themselves would no doubt argue that their films do not influence people's behaviour.
▪ He argued for changes to the tax system so that it assisted people who undertook training.
▪ Jim and Beth seem to spend all their time arguing.
▪ My kids spend more time arguing over the rules than they do playing the game.
▪ Senator Harvey argued strongly against taking any form of military action.
▪ She argued that taxes must be increased to pay for public services.
▪ The two men at the bar were arguing about politics.
▪ We could hear the neighbors arguing.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ And no one argued when he said he had become an embarrassment.
▪ Besides all this, we argue a lot.
▪ During oral arguments before the high court, attorneys for each state will argue that it alone should control the island.
▪ Gunther Zuntz, on the other hand, has argued for the exclusively Pythagorean identity of the tablets.
▪ Rolt argues that we must look beyond the present system altogether.
▪ The other approach has been to argue that rats have difficulty with passive avoidance because they can not remember recent events.
▪ Walter argues that the Convention guarantees compensation whenever a citizen is deprived of property.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Argue

Argue \Ar"gue\, v. t.

  1. To debate or discuss; to treat by reasoning; as, the counsel argued the cause before a full court; the cause was well argued.

  2. To prove or evince; too manifest or exhibit by inference, deduction, or reasoning.

    So many laws argue so many sins.
    --Milton.

  3. To persuade by reasons; as, to argue a man into a different opinion.

  4. To blame; to accuse; to charge with. [Obs.]

    Thoughts and expressions . . . which can be truly argued of obscenity, profaneness, or immorality.
    --Dryden.

    Syn: to reason; evince; discuss; debate; expostulate; remonstrate; controvert.

    Usage: To Argue, Dispute, Debate. These words, as here compared, suppose a contest between two parties in respect to some point at issue. To argue is to adduce arguments or reasons in support of one's cause or position. To dispute is to call in question or deny the statements or arguments of the opposing party. To debate is to strive for or against in a somewhat formal manner by arguments.

    Men of many words sometimes argue for the sake of talking; men of ready tongues frequently dispute for the sake of victory; men in public life often debate for the sake of opposing the ruling party, or from any other motive than the love of truth.
    --Crabb.

    Unskilled to argue, in dispute yet loud, Bold without caution, without honors proud.
    --Falconer.

    Betwixt the dearest friends to raise debate.
    --Dryden.

Argue

Argue \Ar"gue\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Argued; p. pr. & vb. n. Arguing.] [OE. arguen, F. arguer, fr. L. argutare, freq. of arguere to make clear; from the same root as E. argent.]

  1. To invent and offer reasons to support or overthrow a proposition, opinion, or measure; to use arguments; to reason.

    I argue not Against Heaven's hand or will.
    --Milton.

  2. To contend in argument; to dispute; to reason; -- followed by with; as, you may argue with your friend without convincing him.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
argue

c.1300, "to make reasoned statements to prove or refute a proposition," from Old French arguer "maintain an opinion or view; harry, reproach, accuse, blame" (12c.), from Latin argutare "to prattle, prate," frequentative of arguere "make clear, make known, prove, declare, demonstrate," from PIE *argu-yo-, from root *arg- "to shine, be white, bright, clear" (see argent). Meaning "to oppose, dispute" is from late 14c. Related: Argued; arguing.

Wiktionary
argue

vb. 1 (context obsolete English) To prove. 2 To show grounds for concluding (that); to indicate, imply. 3 (context intransitive English) To debate, disagree(,) or discuss opposing or differing viewpoints. 4 (context intransitive English) To have an argument, a quarrel. 5 (context transitive English) To present (a viewpoint or an argument therefor).

Related phrases:
WordNet
argue

  1. v. present reasons and arguments [syn: reason]

  2. have an argument about something [syn: contend, debate, fence]

  3. give evidence of; "The evidence argues for your claim"; "The results indicate the need for more work" [syn: indicate]

Usage examples of "argue".

People would always fight, argue, bicker and disagree, whether influenced by abiding Interlopers or not.

Granny Aching was going to be a witch even if Tiffany had to argue all day.

However, he argued, it was addictive only when injected, and he had never suggested that anyone do this.

The Managers of the House objected to the admission of the testimony and the question of its admissibility was argued at length by General Butler, by Judge Curtis, and by Mr.

Duff, a New Zealand anthropologist who has made a special study of adze distributions, claiming that no adzes with butts tanged as an aid in lashing the handles have been established for Western Polynesia, whereas tanged adzes have been found throughout Eastern Polynesia, has argued that this is not in accord with what one would expect from random voyaging.

They argue that Saddam respects deterrence and therefore is highly unlikely to use nuclear weapons or to act aggressively in the belief that his nuclear weapons would shield him from an American or Israeli response.

I managed to get Alake, who still seemed inclined to want to stay and argue, out of the bedroom and into the hall.

The white hound might not have been quite as large as a bear, but Alec was not about to argue the point.

She argued that amenities of State Compelled the effort, since they had honoured her By offering to come.

Gospels have no great knowledge of the politics and practices of the time, and so for them this anointing seems incidental, a mark of respect perhaps, or as some church commentators have argued, an ornate ceremony for greeting an honored guest.

As a cardinal, Pierre Roger had argued fiercely against any proposition to which, in his eyes, stood to strengthen the position of the Council of the Apocrypha - a position Roger had always felt undermined the authority of the College of Cardinals.

He embargoed the export of all agricultural produce, except olive oil, in which Athens was swimming, arguing that the big landowners could not sell their produce in richer markets while fellow Athenians went hungry.

Rhetoric was a way of speaking, arguing, persuading, that was necessary in a democracy where the assemblies were large, where there were no microphones, and where it was necessary to sway others in debate.

Because they travelled around, and had many different pupils, in differing circumstances, the sophists became adept at arguing different points of view, and in time this bred a scepticism about their approach.

He was careful not to try to refute the irrefutable, arguing instead that religion, faith, will always be more rewarding, more emotionally satisfying, more morally uplifting than philosophy, and that insofar as Christians led moral and productive lives the religion justified itself.