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to present reasons for or against a thing:
He argued in favor of capital punishment.
to contend in oral disagreement; dispute:
The senator argued with the president about the new tax bill.
to state the reasons for or against:
The lawyers argued the case.
to maintain in reasoning:
to argue that the news report must be wrong.
to persuade, drive, etc., by reasoning:
to argue someone out of a plan.
to show; prove; imply; indicate:
His clothes argue poverty.
Contemporary Examples

Akhil Amar argues Congress should either impeach him or arrest him—but the courts should leave him alone.
Threatening Eric Holder With a Contempt Citation Is Just Cheap Talk Akhil Reed Amar June 21, 2012

But Davis argues that Britain did so only when it realized it served its “national honor.”
How Blacks Freed Themselves from Slavery Eric Herschthal February 17, 2014

And when there are crimes against women and girls, she argues all the way up to the conservative mullahs on the Supreme Court.
Crisis Group and Hillary Clinton Honor Women in Pursuit of Peace Swanee Hunt December 17, 2011

The way to move things forward is to reopen the suspended peace talks in Qatar, he argues.
Afghanistan: Mixed Reviews for Obama’s Visit Sami Yousafzai, Ron Moreau May 1, 2012

The cumulative effect, he argues, is to make the counterculture seem shallower than it actually was.
The Best of Brit Lit Peter Stothard March 10, 2010

Historical Examples

“Look at the design of the cover, see how durable it is,” argues the salesman.
The Building of a Book Various

It will be seen that Cheke writes what he argues for, “clean and pure English.”
A History of English Literature George Saintsbury

The use of the word “synagogue” as a place of worship (James 2:2) on a par with “church” (5:14) argues for this interpretation.
Studies in the Epistle of James A. T. Robertson

It must then, argues Stewart, be either a ‘prejudice’ or an ‘intuitive judgment.’
The English Utilitarians, Volume I. Leslie Stephen

He was dead, argues Swift, if he did but know it; but then there is no accounting for some mens ignorance!
Lives of Illustrious Shoemakers William Edward Winks

verb -gues, -guing, -gued
(intransitive) to quarrel; wrangle: they were always arguing until I arrived
(intransitive; often foll by for or against) to present supporting or opposing reasons or cases in a dispute; reason
(transitive; may take a clause as object) to try to prove by presenting reasons; maintain
(transitive; often passive) to debate or discuss: the case was fully argued before agreement was reached
(transitive) to persuade: he argued me into going
(transitive) to give evidence of; suggest: her looks argue despair
v.

c.1300, “to make reasoned statements to prove or refute a proposition,” from Old French arguer “maintain an opinion or view; harry, reproach, accuse, blame” (12c.), from Latin argutare “to prattle, prate,” frequentative of arguere “make clear, make known, prove, declare, demonstrate,” from PIE *argu-yo-, from root *arg- “to shine, be white, bright, clear” (see argent). Meaning “to oppose, dispute” is from late 14c. Related: Argued; arguing.