agonistics
- noun
- /ˌæɡəˈnɪstɪks/
- Specialized
- The professor emphasized the importance of agonistics in understanding political discourse during the seminar.
Examples
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The book explores various forms of agonistics, illustrating how debate shapes social and political ideologies.
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Many students find that engaging in agonistics helps improve their debating skills and confidence.
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And I think the components of Samsung agonistics are as troubling as anything you'll find anywhere in in the reading for this course.
How Argumentative
490
4.9
461
2.8
- Specialized
∞
2.5
113
3.5
∞
1.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
agonistics = agonistic (semi-transparent) = agon + istic + s
The nominal sense (study/practice of argument or debate) follows the academic '-ics' pattern, but the base morpheme is uncommon, so learners who know 'agonistic' will recognize it while others will not.
Etymology
Agonistics comes from the Greek root agon meaning 'contest' or 'struggle', and in social study it means the practice or study of argument and competitive debate. Imagine two speakers in a public hall trying to win the audience with their ideas, which is why agonistics is about organised conflict in politics and theory.