argument Copy link Outline I. A reason alleged in support or proof of any proposition1. argūmentum2. rătĭoII. A debate, discussionIII. The subject of a discourse or literary productionIV. An abstract or summary • argument: I. A reason alleged in support or proof of any proposition: 1. argūmentum: an a. is a reason which gains assent to a doubtful matter, a. est ratio quae rei dubiae facit fidem, Cic.: you show by many weighty a.s that there are gods, multis et gravibus a. deos esse doces, Cic.: he endeavoured to refute these positions by instances rather than by a.s, ea exemplis magis quam argumentis conabatur refellere, Cic.: to amplify an a., a. dilatare, Cic.: the force of an a., vis argumenti, Quint.: an assemblage of a.s, congregatio argumentorum, Quint.: some a.s it is not enough merely to state; they must be supported, quaedam a. ponere satis non est; adjuvanda sunt, Quint.: very powerful a.s, potentissima a., Quint. To produce or allege a.s, argūmentor, 1: I shall not produce those circumstances as a.s, weighty as they are, illa non argumentabor, quae sunt gravia vehementer, Cic.: to produce probable a.s, probabiliter a., Liv.: v. to argue (I). 2. rătĭo: Cic.: v. reason. II. A debate, discussion: q. v.; dispŭtātĭo. III. The subject of a discourse or literary production: argūmentum: the a. of this tragedy, a. hujus tragoediae, Pl.: the a. of a play, fabulae a., Ter.: the a. of a letter, epistolae a., Cic. So Milton: "rise to the height of this great a.," *ad res tantas tamque excelsas eniti: v. subject. IV. An abstract or summary: q. v.: epitome.
ARGUMENT Copy link • ARGUMENTproof, reason, argumentum: ratio. To bring or allege arguments, argumenta or rationes afferre: to derive arguments from, argumenta ex re ducere, sumere, cruere; to reject anargument, argumentum rejicere: to press an argument, argumentum premere: to be an argumrnt, argumento esse. Observe. An argument for any thing, not argumentum pro aliqua re, but argumenium quo aliquid esse demonstratur, etc. To bring many arguments for the existence of a God, multis argumentis Deum esse docere. That is no argument, nullum verum id argumentum est. To produce or allege many probable arguments for that opinion, multa in eam partem probabiliter argumentari (Liv.). Argumentum is often left out when an adjective is used; e.g., “the strongest argument for this is”, etc., firmissimum hoc afferri videtur, quod, etc. (Cic.). Subject of a discourse or writing, sententia: sententiae (the principal thought or thoughts): argumentum (subject matter of a speech, essay, etc., for which materia is never used in the classics): summa (the main subject; e.g., of a letter, conversation, etc.). Contents summed up by way of abstract, summarium; epitome [Vid: ABRIDGMENT]: index (Quint.). Subject under discussion, quaestio: controversia: res controversa: disceptatio. Often by circumlocution with quod cadit in controversiam or disceptationem. Dispute, discussion, concertatio: disputatio: pugna: controversia. To make anything the subject of an argument, rem in controversiam vocare, adducere, deducere. An argument arises, oritur certamen or controversia (de aliqua re cum aliquo). To hold an argument about anything with any body, disputare de aliqua recum aliquo.