Speech and Debate

Point of order! If you need to improve your public speaking skills, review this list of words related to speech and debate. Can the right vocabulary really help you make persuasive and informative arguments? Affirmative!
53 words 2317 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. ad hominem
    appealing to personal considerations rather than to reason
  2. affirm
    establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts
  3. affirmative
    giving assent
  4. analogy
    drawing a comparison in order to show a similarity
  5. analysis
    a detailed investigation or examination of something
  6. argument
    an assertion offered as evidence that something is true
  7. argumentation
    the methodical process of logical reasoning
  8. authority
    an expert whose views are taken as definitive
  9. claim
    an assertion that something is true or factual
  10. conclusion
    the last section of a communication
  11. credibility
    the quality of being believable or trustworthy
  12. criterion
    the ideal in terms of which something can be judged
  13. debate
    the formal presentation of a proposition and its opposition
  14. disclaimer
    denial of any connection with or knowledge of
  15. dramatic
    characteristic of a stage performance
  16. equivocation
    intentional vagueness or ambiguity
  17. evidence
    knowledge on which to base belief
  18. extemporaneous
    with little or no preparation or forethought
  19. fallacy
    a misconception resulting from incorrect reasoning
  20. generalization
    an idea or conclusion having broad application
  21. impact
    a forceful consequence; a strong effect
  22. impromptu
    with little or no preparation or forethought
  23. informative
    serving to instruct or enlighten
  24. interpretation
    an explanation that results from making sense of something
  25. logical
    marked by an orderly and coherent relation of parts
  26. monotone
    an unchanging intonation
  27. motion
    a formal proposal for action made to a deliberative assembly
  28. negate
    show to be false
  29. negative
    expressing or consisting of a refusal or denial
  30. non sequitur
    a reply that has no relevance to what preceded it
  31. opponent
    a contestant that you are matched against
  32. orator
    a person who delivers a speech
  33. oratory
    the act of addressing an audience formally
  34. paraphrase
    express the same message in different words
  35. parliamentary
    in accord with rules and customs of a legislative assembly
  36. pathos
    a style that has the power to evoke feelings
  37. persuasive
    intended or having the power to induce action or belief
  38. plank
    an endorsed policy in the platform of a political party
  39. point of order
    a question as to whether the current proceedings are allowed by parliamentary procedure
  40. policy
    argument rationalizing the course of action of a government
  41. prima facie
    as it seems at first sight
  42. proposition
    a suggestion offered for acceptance or rejection
  43. rebuttal
    the speech act of refuting by offering a contrary argument
  44. red herring
    something intended to distract attention from the main issue
  45. refutation
    the speech act of answering an attack on your assertions
  46. refute
    overthrow by argument, evidence, or proof
  47. resolution
    a formal expression by a meeting, agreed to by a vote
  48. rhetoric
    using language effectively to please or persuade
  49. statistic
    a datum that can be represented numerically
  50. straw man
    a weak or sham argument set up to be easily refuted
  51. tautology
    a statement that is necessarily true
  52. topic
    the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
  53. value
    an ideal accepted by some individual or group
Created on Tue Jan 24 11:12:03 EST 2017 (updated Wed Mar 29 15:42:09 EDT 2017)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.