Art of Argumentation Vocabulary

Affinity

a natural attraction, liking, or feeling of kinship; a natural tendency or ability to use or do something

Automaton

a self-operating machine or mechanism, especially a robot; one that behaves or responds in a mechanical way

Catalyst

one that precipitates a process or event, especially without being involved in or changed by the consequences

Circumlocution

the use of unnecessarily wordy language, especially in being vague or evasive; a roundabout or evasive expression

Demagogue

a person, especially a political leader, who wins support by exciting the emotions of ordinary people rather than by having good or morally right ideas

Hiatus

a gap or interruption in space, time, or continuity; a break

Martinet

someone who demands that rules and orders always be obeyed, even when it is unnecessary or unreasonable to do so

Panoply

a splendid or striking array or arrangement

Paragon

a model of excellence or perfection of a kind; a peerless example

Sophistry

a plausible but misleading or fallacious argument

Bollix up

to throw into confusion; botch or bungle

Disabuse

to free from a falsehood or misconception; to set free from mistakes; to undeceive; to disengage from fallacy or deception; to set right

Edify

to instruct and improve, especially in moral and religious knowledge; to teach

Feign

to give a false appearance of; to induce as a false impression

Segue

to make a transition without interruption from one activity, topic, scene, or part to another

Ardent

displaying or characterized by strong enthusiasm or devotion; fervent

Bereft

deprived of something

Halcyon

denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful

Intractable

difficult to persuade or keep under control, as in behavior; obstinate

Lax

lacking in rigor, strictness, or firmness; negligent

Moot

subject to debate; arguable or unsettled; of no practical importance; irrelevant

Prophylactic

acting to defend against or prevent something, especially disease; protective

Seminal

highly influential in an original way; constituting or providing a basis for further development; creative

Snide

mocking or derogatory in a malicious or ironic way

Tenuous

having little substance or strength; flimsy, weak