argumentation

noun ar·gu·men·ta·tion \ ˌär-gyə-mən-ˈtā-shən , -ˌmen- \

1 : the act or process of forming reasons and of drawing conclusions and applying them to a case in discussion

2 : debate, discussion

See argumentation defined for English-language learners

Examples of argumentation in a Sentence

He tried to use argumentation to convince his opponents, rather than force.
the matter is not subject to argumentation; my decision is final

Recent Examples of argumentation from the Web

Ratings for grammar, vocabulary and argumentation were similar between groups.

— amanda macmillan, Time, "It's True: Alcohol Helps You Speak a Foreign Language Better," 20 Oct. 2017
The reader feels less and less interested in the narrative vicissitudes, and might well start glazing over in those passages of argumentation in which each thing is revealed to be its opposite.

— sven birkerts, New Republic, "Laurent Binet and the Case of the Dead Author," 20 Sep. 2017
In short, the United States got the resolution not by clever arm-twisting or persuasive argumentation but by accommodating Beijing's reservations.

— chicagotribune.com, "Analysis: Donald Trump is defining successful foreign policy down," 8 Aug. 2017
His philosophizing relied on a particularly college-aged line of argumentation.

— nick bilton, The Hive, "Silicon Valley Murder Mystery: How Drugs and Paranoia Doomed Silk Road," 19 June 2017
His philosophizing relied on a particularly college-aged line of argumentation.

— nick bilton, The Hive, "Silicon Valley Murder Mystery: How Drugs and Paranoia Doomed Silk Road," 19 June 2017
Music is no stranger to argumentation and the tireless dance of human subjectivity.

— riordan zentler, sandiegouniontribune.com, "At Cow Records in Ocean Beach, one man keeps the vinyls spinning," 23 June 2017
And, as Joan Acocella writes in her review in The New Yorker, hatred of Roy isn’t limited to India: Many people on the right hate her, of course, and not just for her skill in argumentation.

— erin blakemore, Longreads, "Arundhati Roy Doesn’t Care What You Think," 9 June 2017
His philosophizing relied on a particularly college-aged line of argumentation.

— nick bilton, The Hive, "Silicon Valley Murder Mystery: How Drugs and Paranoia Doomed Silk Road," 19 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'argumentation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.