Main Entry:

ar·gu·ment

Pronunciation:

\ˈär-gyə-mənt\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin argumentum, from arguere

Date:

14th century

1obsolete : an outward sign : indication2 a: a reason given in proof or rebuttal b: discourse intended to persuade3 a: the act or process of arguing : argumentation b: a coherent series of statements leading from a premise to a conclusion c: quarrel, disagreement4: an abstract or summary especially of a literary work <an argument preceded the poem>5: the subject matter especially of a literary work6 a: one of the independent variables upon whose value that of a function depends b: a substantive (as the direct object of a transitive verb) that is required by a predicate in grammar c: amplitude 4