Debate Glossary

A

  • Ad Hominem A fallacy that attacks the person making an argument instead of the argument itself.
  • Appeal to Authority Treating an expert's or authority's opinion as proof of a claim without examining the underlying reasoning.

B

  • Begging the Question A fallacy where an argument's premise already assumes the conclusion it is supposed to prove.
  • Burden of Proof The obligation to support a claim with evidence and reasoning, resting on whoever makes the claim.

C

  • Circular Reasoning An argument that uses its conclusion as one of its own premises, so it proves nothing on its own.
  • Claim A precise, defensible statement of what a debater believes, the starting point of any argument.
  • Cross-Examination A timed period where one debater directly questions an opposing debater to clarify or expose weaknesses.

E

  • Ethos The persuasive appeal built on a speaker's credibility, character, and trustworthiness.

F

  • False Dichotomy Presenting only two options as if they were the only possibilities, when more actually exist.
  • Flow The running shorthand notes a debater keeps to track every argument across all speeches in a round.

I

  • Impact The reason an argument matters, stated in terms a judge can weigh against the other side's impacts.

K

  • Kritik A critical argument challenging the assumptions, language, or framework behind an opponent's case, not just its substance.

L

  • Logos The persuasive appeal built on logic, evidence, and reasoning rather than emotion or credibility.

M

  • Motion The resolution or topic a round of debate is fought over, often phrased as "This House believes..."

P

  • Pathos The persuasive appeal that engages an audience's emotions to support a claim.
  • Point of Information A brief interjection offered during an opponent's speech in parliamentary-style debate.

R

  • Rebuttal A response that directly engages and attempts to defeat a specific argument the opponent made.
  • Red Herring An irrelevant point introduced to distract from the argument actually being made.
  • Rhetoric The art of persuasive speaking and writing, classically organized around ethos, pathos, and logos.

S

  • Slippery Slope Claiming a first step will inevitably lead to an extreme outcome without showing the mechanism connecting each step.
  • Straw Man Misrepresenting an opponent's argument as weaker than it is, then attacking the weaker version.

T

  • Topicality An argument that the opposing side's case falls outside the bounds of the debate's resolution.
  • Turn A rebuttal that flips an opponent's own argument into support for your side, rather than just denying it.

W

  • Warrant The reasoning that explains why a piece of evidence actually supports a claim.
  • Whip Speech The final speech in British Parliamentary debate, summarizing the round without introducing new arguments.