What does redarguing mean?
Redarguing is the present participle of redargue, a rare and formal verb meaning to argue again, usually after an earlier argument has been made. Its clearest use is as a counterargument: a speaker or writer redargues a claim by returning to it, challenging its premises, or attempting to refute it. The word can suggest careful repartee, but because its straightforward sense includes arguing a second time, it may also carry the faintly comic implication of a dispute that keeps circling back. In modern English, writers normally reach for rebut, refute, dispute, or challenge instead. Redarguing therefore has more character as a literary or formal expression than as everyday vocabulary. It appears chiefly in formal commentary, academic prose, and stylized descriptions of debate. The form functions as a participle in phrases such as “redarguing the government's case,” while the base verb redargue names the action itself. Recognising the word makes older or more formal writing easier to follow and highlights how English can turn the idea of a second argument into a single vivid verb.
verb (present participle)The present participle of redargue: arguing again, especially in response to an earlier argument or in order to refute a claim.
- To argue again, particularly in response to a previous argument or in order to refute a claim.
"The columnist redargued the minister's claim with a series of precise counterexamples."
"In the televised debate, she redargued the minister's claim by citing contradictory statistics."
"The review redargued the novel's central premise from an historical perspective."
Redarguing is debate's literary echo: the second round of an argument, often a reply to the first.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does redarguing come from?
The modern verb combines the English prefix red-, meaning again, with argue. Argue came through Middle English argu(en) from Old French arguer, from Latin arguere, “to make clear, prove, or refute.” Related English and Latin forms include argument and arguendo, which developed from the same ancient root.
Related word forms
How redarguing is actually used
Rare and chiefly formal or literary. Contemporary English usually prefers simpler alternatives such as rebut, refute, challenge, or dispute.