Citations:argument
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English citations of argument
| 1678 | 1818 1851 | 2016 | |||||
| ME « | 15th c. | 16th c. | 17th c. | 18th c. | 19th c. | 20th c. | 21st c. |
- (countable, also figuratively) A fact or statement used to support a proposition; a reason.
- 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “Stubb’s Supper”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, pages 446–447:
- Says Plowdon [i.e., Edmund Plowden], the whale so caught belongs to the King and Queen, “because of its superior excellence.” And by the soundest commentators this has ever been held a cogent argument in such matters.
- (countable) A process of reasoning; argumentation.
- 1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC; reprinted in The Pilgrim’s Progress as Originally Published by John Bunyan: Being a Fac-simile Reproduction of the First Edition, London: Elliot Stock […], 1875, →OCLC, page 84:
- Indeed, I cannot commend my life; for I am conſcious to my ſelf of many failings: therein, I know alſo that a man by his converſation, may ſoon overthrow what by argument or perſwaſion he doth labour to faſten upon others for their good: […]
- 1818, [Mary Shelley], chapter I, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume II, London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, →OCLC, page 146:
- I shuddered when I thought of the possible consequences of my consent; but I felt that there was some justice in his argument.
- 2016 October 2, Nick Cohen, “Liberal Guilt Won’t Fight Nationalism”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 195, numbers 17 (30 September – 6 October 2016), London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 21, column 3:
- Meanwhile, the authoritarianism, which has turned left-liberalism into a movement for sneaks and prudes, was always going to play into the hands of the right. Free citizens have stopped listening to those who respond to the challenge of argument by screaming for the police to arrest the politically incorrect or for universities to ban speakers who depart from leftish orthodoxy.
- 1917, 'Motor Age, volume 31, page 52:
- I purchased the chassis for the creation which I had planned many moons ago, after said chassis had been involved in an argument with a freight train in which the freight train came out victorious to the extent of nearly demolishing [the chassis].
- 1999, United States. Internal Revenue Service, Internal Revenue Cumulative Bulletin, page 1098:
- While at home after duty hours, an IRS employee becomes involved in a physical argument with his neighbor. The neighbor sues the employee for assault and battery and a court finds the employee liable for civil assault and battery.