adjective
forensic
Relating to formal public argument or debate.
The students enter a forensic debate tournament.
Etymology
Latin forensis meant belonging to the forum, where public business and legal discussion took place. The debating sense keeps this connection with formal public argument.
More examples
- Her forensic training improved her public speaking.
- The club offers practice in forensic argument.
- He won an award for forensic performance.
Forms
forensic
Similar words
- rhetorical
- Relates to effective expression or persuasion, not only formal debate.
- argumentative
- Emphasizes presenting reasons, but can also mean quarrelsome.