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📜 About the Talmud 🧐 Very detailed argument
Talmudic

Talmudic

1 9.9
Very detailed and careful argument that looks at small points
  • adjective
  • /tælˈmʊdɪk/
  • Formal
translation icon : talmúdico
  • In trying to cover a First Amendment case, you almost have to be a Talmudic scholar to slice the difference between the dogmatic principles the Court is going to follow.

Examples

  • His Talmudic reasoning made it difficult for others to counter his claims without addressing every fine point.

  • The lawyer's Talmudic analysis of the contract showed just how intricate the agreement's terms were.

  • For Novak, the covenant commands by way of specific, talmudic argumentation; for Borowitz, through more general value concepts.

    Academic text (1993)

  • During the debate, she presented her arguments with Talmudic precision, dissecting every possible interpretation.

Synonyms

hairsplitting
vsTalmudic
8.1

Too focused on small unimportant details in a discussion

is detailed subtle analysis that may be serious rather than petty

Compounds

Talmudic literature
9.9

A body of ancient writings by rabbis important to Jewish law and tradition

How Detailed

Talmudic
  • Formal
1 9.9
meticulous
58 8.6
detailed
353 3.7

Surface Forms

Talmudic positive

Morphology

Talmudic = Talmud (semi-transparent) = Talmud + ic

Formed from 'Talmud' + '-ic' but extended metaphorically to mean 'marked by minute, hair-splitting argument', which is a figurative, specialized sense not fully predictable from the base.

Etymology

Talmudic is a helpful word to remember by thinking of the Talmud's long, careful debates over very small points. Because the Talmud is full of close, detailed argument, Talmudic also came to mean 'extremely detailed or fine argument', so it describes a way of arguing that looks at every small difference.