polemize
Polemize is a verb that means to engage in polemics: to argue against or refute a doctrine, policy, or person. It can refer to composing polemical writing or delivering controversial speech intended to criticize or overturn an opposing position. The act may involve sharpening rhetoric, presenting counterarguments, and challenging assumptions, often within a broader dispute or public debate.
The term derives from Greek polemikos meaning “of war,” from polemos meaning “war.” It entered English via
In scholarly contexts, polemizing is used to describe a forceful but reasoned challenge to a position. In
Related concepts include polemic, polemicist, disputation, argumentation, and rhetoric.