dialectic

Main Entry:: di·a·lec·tic
Pronunciation:: \ˌdī-ə-ˈlek-tik\
Function:: noun
Etymology:: Middle English dialetik, from Anglo-French dialetiqe, from Latin dialectica, from Greek dialektikē, from feminine of dialektikos of conversation, from dialektos
Date:: 14th century

1: logic 1a(1)2 a: discussion and reasoning by dialogue as a method of intellectual investigation ; specifically : the Socratic techniques of exposing false beliefs and eliciting truth b: the Platonic investigation of the eternal ideas3: the logic of fallacy4 a: the Hegelian process of change in which a concept or its realization passes over into and is preserved and fulfilled by its opposite ; also : the critical investigation of this process b (1)usually plural but singular or plural in construction : development through the stages of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis in accordance with the laws of dialectical materialism (2): the investigation of this process (3): the theoretical application of this process especially in the social sciences5usually plural but singular or plural in construction a: any systematic reasoning, exposition, or argument that juxtaposes opposed or contradictory ideas and usually seeks to resolve their conflict b: an intellectual exchange of ideas6: the dialectical tension or opposition between two interacting forces or elements

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