Arguendo refers to a stated or assumed premise used inferences to reach a conclusion, often signaling that a point follows logically from the given premises. In legal or logical contexts, it indicates that the argument proceeds from what has been accepted as true, without restating every premise. The term is used to imply that the cited assumption is sufficient to draw the proposed inference.
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US: emphasize the /ɡw/ cluster and keep final /oʊ/; UK: may exhibit a more centralized final vowel, keep it short but rounded; AU: can lean toward a closer /əʊ/ in casual speech. Use IPA guides to tune vowel lengths, ensure nonrhoticity on the final syllable if applicable, and practice with minimal pairs that stress the second syllable.
"- In the contract interpretation, arguendo, the clause would imply a broader duty of disclosure."
"- Argue vigorously, arguendo, but we must assume the client’s consent for the sake of this hypothetical."
"- The court, arguendo, accepted the standard precedent as applicable to the new case."
"- Argue arguendo that the policy covers additional damages, even if not explicitly listed."
Arguendo comes from Latin arguere 'to accuse, reveal, prove' and the gerundive arguendum, meaning 'things to be argued' or 'for arguing.' The term entered English legal and logical usage through Latin phrases preserved in academic rhetoric, particularly in the 17th–19th centuries when scholars heavily borrowed from Roman law and scholastic disputation. In its original Latin usage, arguendo conveyed the notion of a hypothetical or argumentative premise used to test a conclusion, without asserting it as fact. As English legal and philosophical prose matured, arguendo became a conventional adverbial or adjectival hedge indicating that a line of reasoning is assumed for the sake of argument, rather than asserted as an absolute truth. The semantic drift from a pure argumentative screen to a formal hedging device maintained the sense of hypothetical reasoning and logical progression. First known English attestations appear in juristic and scholastic texts from the late 1500s onward, but its robust presence in modern legal writing—often in parenthetical phrases like ‘arguendo’ or ‘arguendo that’—reflects a long-standing Latin tradition of embedding precise argumentative qualifiers into prose.
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Words that rhyme with "arguendo"
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Pronounce as ar-GWEN-do, with the stress on the second syllable. IPA US: ɑrˈɡwen.doʊ, UK: ɑːˈɡwen.dəʊ, AU: arˈɡwen.dəʊ. Start with a light, crisp ‘ar’ like ‘are,’ then a strong ‘GWE’ blend, then a gentle ‘n-do’ ending. The ‘wen’ has a short vowel and the final ‘do’ rhymes with ‘go’ in US, but is often a schwa in non-stressed British usage.
Common errors: (1) Pronouncing as ar-GWEN-do with a heavy final syllable, instead of an unstressed -do. (2) Misplacing the stress, saying ar-GWEN-do or AR-gwen-do. (3) Running the vowel in ‘wen’ into a long ‘e’ or ‘ee’ sound. Correction: keep stress on the second syllable, reduce the final -o to a soft schwa or /oʊ/ depending on accent, and produce a clean /ɡ/ then /w/ cluster before /ɛn/.
US: stress on second syllable, final /doʊ/. UK: similar stress pattern, final vowel often clearer as /dəʊ/ with slight schwa. AU: often a slightly more centralized final vowel; /əʊ/ or /oʊ/ realizations, with a stronger postvocalic drop in rapid speech. Overall: the G-W blend remains, but rhotacized or nonrhotic endings influence the exact vowel quality and length.
Because it combines a strong plosive /ɡ/ after an unstressed vowel, a tricky /w/ onset in the /ɡw/ cluster, and a final unstressed vowel that often reduces to schwa in rapid speech. Additionally, the ‘wen’ diphthong can be mis-timed if you’re not anchoring the syllable-stress on the second syllable. Practicing the /ɡw/ sequence and keeping the final syllable light helps.
A useful tip is to anchor the syllable boundary after the /ɡ/ to prevent the /w/ from swallowing the preceding vowel. Visualize ar-GWEN-do with the main vowel centered in the second syllable. Practicing with a slow speed, then faster, and recording helps ensure the /ɡw/ cluster is crisp and the final /doʊ/ lands naturally.
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