Wordsmith collection

Ideas & Arguments

by Wordsmith @wordsmith

The language of critical reasoning and essays. 64 words for making, weighing and refuting arguments: premise, cogent, fallacy, rebuttal.

• abstract Existing as an idea or thought, not as a real thing you can touch.
• ambiguous Able to be understood in more than one way.
• analogous Similar to something else in a way that lets you compare them.
• anecdotal In the form of short personal stories, or full of them.
• argumentation Reasoning from stated ideas to a conclusion, or an exchange of arguments.
• assertion A firm statement that something is true, often made without proof.
• assumption Something taken to be true without proof.
• bias A leaning toward something that sways how you judge it.
• causal Having to do with one thing making another thing happen.
• causation The act of making something happen, and the link between cause and effect.
• cogent Clear and convincing, backed by good reasons and evidence.
• coherent Orderly, logical and consistent, with parts that fit together well.
• concede To admit or agree that something is true.
• consensus General agreement among the members of a group.
• contend To believe something is reasonable and argue for it.
• contradiction Two statements that cannot both be true at the same time.
• correlation A close link or match between two or more things.
• counterargument An argument made against another argument.
• credible Able to be believed or trusted.
• criterion A standard or test for comparing and judging things or people.
• data Facts and numbers collected and used for reasoning or calculation.
• deduce To reach a conclusion by reasoning from facts you already know.
• devil's advocate One who debates from a viewpoint which one may not actually hold, usually to determine its validity or simply for the sake of argument.
• dialectic A way of reasoning that reaches a truth through the exchange of logical arguments.
• dichotomy A division of something into two parts, often two that seem opposite.
• dissent Disagreement with the views of those in authority, such as a government or religion.
• dogma A belief laid down as true by an authority, to be accepted without question.
• empirical Based on what is seen, tested or experienced, not on theory.
• equivocal Open to more than one meaning, so the intent stays unclear.
• evidence Facts or observations that support a claim.
• extrapolate To work out something unknown by extending what you already know.
• fallacious Based on faulty reasoning, and so false or misleading.
• fallacy A mistaken belief, or a false argument that looks right but is not.
• framework A basic structure of ideas or principles.
• generalize To draw a broad rule or conclusion from particular cases.
• hypothesis An idea that tries to explain something and can be tested by further study.
• ideology A set of beliefs or principles held by a person or group.
• imply To suggest something without saying it directly.
• indicative Showing or suggesting that something is true or present.
• inductive Reasoning that builds a general rule out of particular cases you have observed.
• infer To work something out from evidence or reasoning rather than being told.
• justify To give an acceptable reason or explanation for something.
• logical Following sound reasoning, or simply making good sense.
• nuance A small, subtle difference or fine detail.
• objective A goal that someone works hard to reach.
• objectivity The ability to judge fairly, without letting feelings or bias get in the way.
• observation The act of watching or noticing something.
• paradox A statement or situation that seems to contradict itself but may be true.
• perspective A particular angle or point of view from which someone understands experience.
• plausible Seeming true or reasonable enough to be believed.
• premise A statement or idea assumed to be true, used as the basis of an argument.
• rationale An explanation of the reasons behind something.
• rebuttal A reply that argues against a claim or gives evidence against it.
• refute To prove that a statement or idea is false or wrong.
• rhetorical Asked for effect or drama, not because you want an answer.
• significant Having a noticeable or major effect.
• skepticism An attitude of questioning and doubting things.
• stance A person's opinion or point of view on something.
• subjective Based on personal feelings or intuition, not on observation or logic.
• subjectivity Being guided by personal feelings and opinions rather than outside facts.
• substantiate To show that something is true by giving evidence for it.
• tangible Real and concrete enough to be treated as fact.
• unequivocal Totally clear and leaving no room for doubt or argument.
• validate To check or prove that something is correct or true.

Definitions from Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0) and Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).