Arguing

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

jesus offered a “new covenant,” arguing that the old way—“an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”—was finished.
what jesus really means jay parini january 11, 2014

eventually he “more or less went over to arguing that slavery was a positive good.”
what did thomas jefferson really think about slavery? jan ellen lewis october 16, 2012

but conservative groups and legislators fought many of the efforts, arguing that the vaccine would encourage promiscuity.
hpv infects millions of men: vaccinate the boys! danielle friedman march 5, 2011

he penned a piece in the times after his return, arguing for greater american attention to the country.
the summer’s winners and losers samuel p. jacobs september 5, 2009

they were arguing late into the summer of 2008 that america had better worry about inflation.
bernanke’s dangerous game jeff madrick june 6, 2009

historical examples

he would have distrusted any advances on her part as arguing a certain poverty of personal resource.
the return of the prodigal may sinclair

“no use in arguing this thing on its merits,” he said, curtly, at last.
the coryston family mrs. humphry ward

this is no time for arguing; and please remember that i command here.
turned adrift harry collingwood

it was a gesture slight and trivial, yet arguing perhaps vexation.
the snare rafael sabatini

i did not know that it was the world that was arguing in me.
the pillars of the house, vol. ii (of 2) charlotte m. yonge

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 p-ssive) 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.