Search Result for "argument": 
Wordnet 3.0

NOUN (7)

1. a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true;
- Example: "it was a strong argument that his hypothesis was true"
[syn: argument, statement]

2. a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement;
- Example: "they were involved in a violent argument"
[syn: controversy, contention, contestation, disputation, disceptation, tilt, argument, arguing]

3. a discussion in which reasons are advanced for and against some proposition or proposal;
- Example: "the argument over foreign aid goes on and on"
[syn: argument, argumentation, debate]

4. a summary of the subject or plot of a literary work or play or movie;
- Example: "the editor added the argument to the poem"
[syn: argument, literary argument]

5. (computer science) a reference or value that is passed to a function, procedure, subroutine, command, or program;
[syn: argument, parameter]

6. a variable in a logical or mathematical expression whose value determines the dependent variable; if f(x)=y, x is the independent variable;

7. a course of reasoning aimed at demonstrating a truth or falsehood; the methodical process of logical reasoning;
- Example: "I can't follow your line of reasoning"
[syn: argumentation, logical argument, argument, line of reasoning, line]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Argument \Ar"gu*ment\, n. [F. argument, L. argumentum, fr. arguere to argue.] 1. Proof; evidence. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] There is.. no more palpable and convincing argument of the existence of a Deity. --Ray. [1913 Webster] Why, then, is it made a badge of wit and an argument of parts for a man to commence atheist, and to cast off all belief of providence, all awe and reverence for religion? --South. [1913 Webster] 2. A reason or reasons offered in proof, to induce belief, or convince the mind; reasoning expressed in words; as, an argument about, concerning, or regarding a proposition, for or in favor of it, or against it. [1913 Webster] 3. A process of reasoning, or a controversy made up of rational proofs; argumentation; discussion; disputation. [1913 Webster] The argument is about things, but names. --Locke. [1913 Webster] 4. The subject matter of a discourse, writing, or artistic representation; theme or topic; also, an abstract or summary, as of the contents of a book, chapter, poem. [1913 Webster] You and love are still my argument. --Shak. [1913 Webster] The abstract or argument of the piece. --Jeffrey. [1913 Webster] [Shields] with boastful argument portrayed. --Milton. [1913 Webster] 5. Matter for question; business in hand. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Sheathed their swords for lack of argument. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 6. (Astron.) The quantity on which another quantity in a table depends; as, the altitude is the argument of the refraction. [1913 Webster] 7. (Math.) The independent variable upon whose value that of a function depends. --Brande & C. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Argument \Ar"gu*ment\ ([a^]r"g[-u]*ment), v. i. [L. argumentari.] To make an argument; to argue. [Obs.] --Gower. [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

argument n 1: a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true; "it was a strong argument that his hypothesis was true" [syn: argument, statement] 2: a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement; "they were involved in a violent argument" [syn: controversy, contention, contestation, disputation, disceptation, tilt, argument, arguing] 3: a discussion in which reasons are advanced for and against some proposition or proposal; "the argument over foreign aid goes on and on" [syn: argument, argumentation, debate] 4: a summary of the subject or plot of a literary work or play or movie; "the editor added the argument to the poem" [syn: argument, literary argument] 5: (computer science) a reference or value that is passed to a function, procedure, subroutine, command, or program [syn: argument, parameter] 6: a variable in a logical or mathematical expression whose value determines the dependent variable; if f(x)=y, x is the independent variable 7: a course of reasoning aimed at demonstrating a truth or falsehood; the methodical process of logical reasoning; "I can't follow your line of reasoning" [syn: argumentation, logical argument, argument, line of reasoning, line]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

243 Moby Thesaurus words for "argument": Kilkenny cats, action, addend, affray, altercation, anagnorisis, angle, answer, antilogarithm, apologetics, apologia, apology, architectonics, architecture, argumentation, argumentum, assertion, atmosphere, background, barney, base, basis, bicker, bickering, binomial, blood feud, brawl, broil, case, casuistry, cat-and-dog life, catastrophe, characteristic, characterization, claim, coefficient, color, combat, combination, complement, complication, conflict, congruence, cons, consideration, constant, contention, contentiousness, contest, contestation, continuity, contrivance, controversy, cosine, cotangent, counterstatement, cube, cut and thrust, debate, decimal, defence, defense, demurrer, denial, denominator, denouement, derivative, design, determinant, development, device, difference, differential, disagreement, discriminate, disputation, dispute, dissension, dividend, divisor, donnybrook, donnybrook fair, e, elenchus, embroilment, enmity, episode, equation, evidence, exception, exponent, exponential, fable, factor, falling action, falling-out, feud, fight, fighting, fliting, flyting, formula, foundation, fracas, fray, function, fuss, gimmick, ground, hassle, head, hostility, hubbub, hurrah, i, ignoratio elenchi, imbroglio, incident, increment, index, integral, line, litigation, local color, logic, logomachy, matrix, matter, minuend, mood, motif, motive, movement, multiple, multiplier, mythos, norm, numerator, objection, open quarrel, paper war, parameter, passage of arms, peripeteia, permutation, pi, plaidoyer, plan, plea, pleading, pleadings, plot, point, polemic, polemics, polynomial, position, posture, power, proof, proposition, pros, pros and cons, quarrel, quarreling, quarrelsomeness, quaternion, quotient, radical, radix, reason, rebuttal, reciprocal, recognition, refutation, remainder, reply, response, rhubarb, riposte, rising action, root, row, rumpus, scheme, scrap, scrapping, secant, secondary plot, set-to, sharp words, sine, slanging match, slant, snarl, spat, special demurrer, special pleading, squabble, squabbling, stance, standpoint, statement, statement of defense, story, strife, structure, struggle, subject, subject matter, submultiple, subplot, subtrahend, summation, summing up, switch, talking point, tangent, tensor, testimony, text, thematic development, theme, thesis, tiff, tone, topic, tussle, twist, variable, vector, vendetta, verbal engagement, versine, war, war of words, warfare, wherefore, why, whyfor, words, wrangle, wrangling
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018):

argument arg (Or "arg") A value or reference passed to a function, procedure, subroutine, command or program, by the caller. For example, in the function definition square(x) = x * x x is the formal argument or "parameter", and in the call y = square(3+4) 3+4 is the actual argument. This will execute the function square with x having the value 7 and return the result 49. There are many different conventions for passing arguments to functions and procedures including call-by-value, call-by-name, call-by-reference, call-by-need. These affect whether the value of the argument is computed by the caller or the callee (the function) and whether the callee can modify the value of the argument as seen by the caller (if it is a variable). Arguments to functions are usually, following mathematical notation, written in parentheses after the function name, separated by commas (but see curried function). Arguments to a program are usually given after the command name, separated by spaces, e.g.: cat myfile yourfile hisfile Here "cat" is the command and "myfile", "yourfile", and "hisfile" are the arguments. (2006-05-27)
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

ARGUMENT, practice. Cicero defines it ii probable reason proposed in order to induce belief. Ratio probabilis et idonea ad faciendam fidem. The logicians define it more scientifically to be a means, which by its connexion between two extremes) establishes a relation between them. This subject belongs rather to rhetoric and logic than to law.