eristic
Given to wrangling
Eristic describes argument for its own sake—disputation aimed at winning rather than discovering truth.
The word comes from the Greek goddess of strife, Eris.
An eristic debater cares more about verbal victory than sound reasoning: His eristic style alienated colleagues who wanted genuine dialogue.
As a noun, eristic refers to the art or practice of such argumentation.
Formal argumentative exchange
- contentionAssertion or rivalry
- sophistryDeceptive reasoning
- wranglingLengthy, contentious disputing
- cavilingPetty fault-finding
quarrelsome · contentious · adversarial · contrarian · pettifoggery · fallacious · captious · polemical
Friendly without romance
- dialecticLogical argument through opposition
- thesis-antithesisContradictory positions in argument
- refutationDisproving a statement
- counter-argumentReason against a stance
Actively opposed or hostile
- belligerentHostile and eager to clash
- combativeInclined toward conflict
- hostileAggressively unfriendly
- acrimoniousBitterly antagonistic in tone
vituperative · pugnacious · truculent · aggressive · confrontational · clash · friction · strife
Error in reasoning
- speciousSuperficially plausible but flawed
- spuriousFalse though appearing genuine
- chicaneryDeception through clever manipulation
- obfuscationDeliberate concealment through confusion
misdirection · equivocation · deceptive · misleading · sophistical · casuistic · tendentious · disingenuous
Convincing through reasoning
- oratoryFormal eloquent discourse
- demagogueryManipulative political rhetoric
- forensicPertaining to legal investigation
- declamationForceful, theatrical speaking
invective · harangue · tirade · debate · eloquence · grandstanding · speechifying · argumentation
disputation
Formal argumentative exchange
- contentionAssertion or rivalry
- sophistryDeceptive reasoning
- wranglingLengthy, contentious disputing
caviling · quarrelsome · contentious · adversarial · contrarian · pettifoggery · fallacious · captious · polemical · quibbling
platonic
Friendly without romance
- dialecticLogical argument through opposition
- thesis-antithesisContradictory positions in argument
- refutationDisproving a statement
antagonistic
Actively opposed or hostile
- belligerentHostile and eager to clash
- combativeInclined toward conflict
- hostileAggressively unfriendly
acrimonious · vituperative · pugnacious · truculent · aggressive · confrontational · clash · friction · strife · discord
fallacy
Error in reasoning
- speciousSuperficially plausible but flawed
- spuriousFalse though appearing genuine
- chicaneryDeception through clever manipulation
obfuscation · misdirection · equivocation · deceptive · misleading · sophistical · casuistic · tendentious · disingenuous
persuasion
Convincing through reasoning
- oratoryFormal eloquent discourse
- demagogueryManipulative political rhetoric
- forensicPertaining to legal investigation
declamation · invective · harangue · tirade · debate · eloquence · grandstanding · speechifying · argumentation
eristicdialectical
Relating to logical debate
Socratic · truth-seeking · philosophical · heuristic · epistemic
eristicpeaceable
Averse to strife
agreeable · conciliatory · harmonious · cooperative · accommodating