dialectical.

Proceeding through the examination of opposing positions or tensions.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• dialectical method
• dialectical relationship

On the page

The chapter adopts a dialectical method rather than a simple chronology.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Normally non-gradable; no ordinary comparative or superlative. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: analysis, evaluation. Commonness: moderately common.