Key Debate Terms

Claims, evidence, and reasoning or explanation that prove that someone else's statement is weak, flawed, or false.

• probing question

• rebuttal

• argument

The examples, facts, statistics, quotations, or research that you use to defend and support your argumentative claim and subclaims.

• Argumentative claim

• evidence

• rebuttal

A major claim that represents a belief or opinion, as well as a set of reason or smaller ideas that show this claim is true or correct

• argument

• subclaim

• PRO side

A question that i intended to push the other team to think more deeply about the issue at hand.

• rebuttal

• probing question

• evidence

A specific reason or smaller idea that supports the larger argumentative claim.

• subclaim

• argument

• probing question

A formal contest of skill in reasoned argument

• Debate

• Argument

• Affirmative

• Resolution

The statement of the point to be debated.

• proposition

• resolution

• affirmative

• negative

Yes or true; the team that agrees with the resolution

• affirmative

• negative

• burden of proof

• status quo

Means “the state in which” or how things are now; negative defends this

• status quo

• burden of proof

• refute

• constructive

The duty or responsibility to prove something; affirmative carries this

• burden of proof

• refute

• status quo

• rebuttal