Debate Terms

3. two people or teams equally trying to prove to a judge which side is right while using a formal structure
5. the side that opposes the resolution
8. the affirmative’s responsibility to prove that the resolution is true; if the affirmative fails to prove the resolution, they lose the debate
10. a statement or assertion that is open to challenge and that requires support
12. relevant pieces of information that support a claim; facts, quotations, examples, statistics, or stories
16. directly attacking the opposing team’s arguments
17. speech that builds arguments after attacks; it refutes arguments of the opposition and summarizes the debate; generally no new arguments are allowed in rebuttal speeches

1. recognize; admit
2. the first speech given by each debater
4. defend, explain, or make excuses for by reasoning
6. a mental activity that consists of organizing information or beliefs into a series of steps to reach conclusions
7. a method of reasoning or thinking
9. to prove false or incorrect
11. the proposition or subject offered to debate (e.g. the topic of debate)
13. to examine, assess, and judge carefully
14. the reason why your claim is true; if your argument has no warrant, it may be automatically disregarded by some judges
15. the side that supports the resolution