nonargumentative

Nonargumentative is an adjective used to describe speech, writing, or discourse that does not aim to argue a point or persuade an audience. Instead, nonargumentative texts emphasize description, information, explanation, or instruction. They may present facts, procedures, or observations in an objective or neutral tone. The term is commonly applied in rhetorical analysis, educational contexts, and journalism to distinguish styles that are informational from those that are argumentative or persuasive.

Rhetorical analysis contrasts nonargumentative discourse with argumentative discourse, which includes claims, warrants, and persuasive strategies. Nonargumentative writing often relies on organization, evidence, and scope rather than appeals to emotion or advocacy. It may employ hedging to avoid overclaiming and keeps explicit stances minimal.

In linguistics and discourse studies, nonargumentative can describe utterances or parts of discourse that do not function as arguments within a larger argumentative structure, such as procedural instructions, descriptive passages, or neutral explanations.

Examples:

This manual explains how to replace the fuse.

The salt dissolves in water at room temperature.

The study examined several specimens over a six-month period.

These sentences convey information without attempting to persuade. Nonargumentative writing is often valued for clarity, precision, and accessibility, particularly in instructional, descriptive, or encyclopedic contexts.