argue

verb

ar·​gue ˈär-(ˌ)gyü How to pronounce argue (audio)
argued; arguing
Synonyms of arguenext

intransitive verb

1
: to give reasons for or against something : reason
argue for a new policy
2
: to contend or disagree in words : dispute
They're always arguing about money.

transitive verb

1
: to give evidence of : indicate
The facts argue his innocence.
2
: to consider the pros and cons of : discuss
argue an issue
3
: to prove or try to prove by giving reasons : maintain
asking for a chance to argue his case
4
: to persuade by giving reasons : induce
couldn't argue her out of going
arguer
ˈär-gyə-wər How to pronounce argue (audio)
-gyü-ər
noun

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for argue

discuss, argue, debate mean to discourse about in order to reach conclusions or to convince.

discuss implies a sifting of possibilities especially by presenting considerations pro and con.

discussed the need for a new highway

argue implies the offering of reasons or evidence in support of convictions already held.

argued that the project would be too costly

debate suggests formal or public argument between opposing parties

debated the merits of the amendment

; it may also apply to deliberation with oneself.

I'm debating whether I should go

Examples of argue in a Sentence

She argued against the proposed law. The senator argued in favor of lowering taxes. He's always willing to argue for what is right. She argued that the proposed law should be defeated. He argued that it's far too early to make a decision. No one can argue me out of doing this. They started arguing about politics. She would argue with anyone.
Recent Examples on the Web Another argued that there is no proof fluoride is safe or effective. —Melba Newsome, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024 Lawsuits argued that the company aggressively marketed itself to kids, and Juul paid millions in settlements as a result. —Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 10 Apr. 2024 In its motion to dismiss, Disney argued that there is a broad exception for companies whose business is to engage in speech, such as newspapers and entertainment companies. —Gene Maddaus, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024 Fong’s campaign argued the provision has not been legally valid since 2010, when California voters approved a new state primary system. —Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024 Several Republicans on Tuesday argued that Democrats should not depart from precedent by skipping a trial and moving to dismiss the charges. —Liz Goodwin, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024 At the time, six board members voted in favor of delaying a vote, while District 3's James Craig argued there wasn't time left. —Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 9 Apr. 2024 The parents failed to properly secure the firearm, as James Crumbley hid it in their bedroom but did not use any locking device, the prosecution argued. —Ray Sanchez, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024 The authors, Andrew G. Biggs of the American Enterprise Institute and Alicia H. Munnell of Boston College’s Carroll School of Management, argue that such a shift could address looming shortfalls in Social Security funding, supposedly ensuring its viability for future generations. —Brian Menickella, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'argue.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French arguer to reprove, argue & Latin arguere to demonstrate, prove; Anglo-French arguer, from Latin argutare to prate, frequentative of arguere; akin to Hittite arkuwai- to plead, respond

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of argue was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing argue

Dictionary Entries Near argue

arguably

argue

argue away

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Argue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/argue. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

argue

verb
ar·​gue ˈär-gyü How to pronounce argue (audio)
argued; arguing
1
: to give reasons for or against
argue in favor of lowering taxes
2
: to talk about some matter usually with different points of view
argue about politics
3
: to persuade by giving reasons
tried to argue their parents into getting a new car
arguer noun

Legal Definition

argue

verb
ar·​gue
argued; arguing

intransitive verb

1
: to give reasons for or against a matter in dispute
arguing for an extension
2
: to present a case in court
will argue for the defense

transitive verb

1
a
: to give reasons for or against
argued the issue before the judge
b
: to prove or try to prove by giving reasons or evidence
will argue invasion of privacy
2
: to present in court
lawyers in court filing briefs and arguing appeals—Rorie Sherman
arguable adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on argue

Nglish: Translation of argue for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of argue for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Absent Letters That Are Heard Anyway
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

A Great Big List of Bread Words

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels

12 More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

9 Superb Owl Words
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game You can make only 12 words. Pick the best ones!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A crossword with a twist
winning words from the national spelling bee logo
Spelling Bee Quiz Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...