1.
the point of an argument; the gist; the main thrust
The central point a written argument or essay is trying to make — what the author is actually claiming, as opposed to the surrounding examples, background, or asides. A word from formal writing and academic language.
I agree with the author's main argument, but I have doubts about the choice of examples.
Composed of 論 (argument, discussion, theory) + 旨 (meaning, purport, gist). A formal written word meaning "the core point the argument is making." It appears constantly in essays, academic writing, book reviews, and high-school Japanese textbooks — especially in reading-comprehension questions that ask students to identify the author's 論旨.
Common collocations
- 論旨が明確だ: the point is clear / the argument is well-focused
- 論旨が不明確だ: the point is unclear
- 論旨をまとめる: to summarize the main point
- 論旨を追う: to follow the line of an argument
- 論旨がずれる: the argument drifts off topic
- 論旨明快: clear and lucid in its argument — a common set phrase of praise for an essay
- 論旨に賛同する: to agree with the main point of an argument
Similar words
- 主旨: main point; gist — the central point of any piece of writing or speech; overlaps heavily with 論旨 but is not limited to arguments.
- 要旨: summary; gist — the condensed content of a passage (the abstract of a paper, for example).
- 趣旨: intent; purpose; gist — the aim or intent behind something, not just its argumentative point; used for proposals, laws, meetings, and essays.
- 結論: conclusion — the final claim arrived at, not the overall line of reasoning.
Usage
Use 論旨 only when talking about writing or discussion that has an "argument" in it — an essay, editorial, paper, or debate. For the general idea of a casual conversation or a story, use 話の要点 or 要旨 instead. Common in school reading exercises: 次の文章の論旨を百字以内でまとめなさい (summarize the main argument of the following passage in 100 characters or less).
Related Words
Compare:
主旨 (main point)
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要旨 (summary)
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趣旨 (intent)
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結論 (conclusion)