Argumentatividade

Argumentatividade is a term used in linguistics and discourse analysis to describe the degree to which a linguistic unit, such as a sentence or clause, functions as an element in argumentation. It refers to how much the content presents reasons, evidence, or claims intended to support a position, and how ready it is to be used as a premise in further discussion or to invite counterarguments. The concept is related to, but distinct from, the syntactic notion of argument structure or valency; instead, it concerns the rhetorical and pragmatic role of a proposition within a communicative act.

Elements with high argumentatividade typically include explicit premises, data, or claims that can be supported or contested; they often establish a stance or evaluation and may trigger responses from an audience. Low argumentatividade features are more descriptive or hedged, offering observations without explicit argumentative support.

In practice, researchers assess argumentatividade through qualitative analysis of discourse strategies, such as the presence of justificatory material, modal or evidential language, and stance-taking. The notion is applied to political speeches, opinion journalism, academic writing, and educational texts to understand how texts structure persuasion and debate. It also informs natural language generation and critical discourse studies by highlighting how texts invite argument and challenge. See also argumentation theory, stance, and evidentiality.