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disputans

Disputans is a Latin term that functions as a present participle meaning “disputing” or as a noun meaning “one who disputes.” In medieval and later Latin texts, disputans designates a participant in a disputation, the formal question-and-answer exercise central to scholastic learning. The word derives from disputare, to discuss or argue, and its usage reflects the methodical, dialectical emphasis of the disputation.

In the historical context of medieval universities, disputatio was a structured exercise in which disputants defended

In modern usage, the Latin form disputans is rarely used in everyday English. The term disputant has

See also disputation, disputatio, disputant, debate.

a
position
on
a
chosen
topic.
A
disputant
would
present
arguments,
respond
to
objections,
and
engage
with
counterpoints
under
the
oversight
of
a
moderator
or
chair,
often
a
master
or
professor.
The
format
aimed
to
develop
clarity
of
definition,
logical
rigor,
and
rhetorical
skill,
and
it
served
as
a
pedagogical
test
of
a
student’s
mastery
of
a
subject
as
well
as
their
ability
to
argue
coherently
under
examination.
become
the
standard
English
equivalent
for
a
participant
in
a
debate,
argument,
or
formal
challenge.
The
concept
persists
in
historical
and
scholarly
discussions
of
scholastic
method,
as
well
as
in
contemporary
contexts
such
as
oral
examinations,
academic
defenses,
or
formal
debates
where
participants
act
as
disputants
or
disputants-for
and
against
a
thesis.