argue with + person
Who are you debating with?
Use with for disagreement or discussion between people.
I argued with my brother.
Argue with vs argue for
Use argue with for disagreement between people. Use argue for when supporting an idea or action.
Quick answer
Different meanings of argue
Argue with focuses on the person you disagree with. Argue for focuses on the position or proposal you support.
She argued with her manager.
They argued for lower taxes.
They argued for lower taxes.
Choose the pattern by meaning
These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.
argue for + idea
Supporting a position
Use for when giving reasons in support of something.
Experts argued for stricter rules.
argue against + idea
Opposing a position
Against expresses opposition.
Several groups argued against the proposal.
See the difference in context
The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.
Construction
Example
Meaning
argue with
He argued with his neighbour.
have a disagreement with someone
argue for
She argued for better funding.
support an idea or action
argue about
They argued about money.
state the topic of disagreement
Common mistakes
Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.
Using argue for with people
Use with for the person involved in the disagreement.
✕ She argued for her boss. ✓ She argued with her boss.Confusing support and disagreement
Argue for means support, not conflict.
✕ They argued for each other all evening. ✓ They argued with each other all evening.Quick practice
Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.
1. The lawyer argued ___ a shorter sentence.
2. I do not want to argue ___ you.
3. They argued ___ the new policy.
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Frequently asked questions
Can argue with be friendly?
Yes. It can describe a discussion without anger.
What does argue for mean?
It means to support or recommend something with reasons.
Can I say argue about?
Yes. It introduces the topic of the disagreement.
Related preposition guides
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