cavil (redirected from caviler)

cavil verb attack, belittle, calumniari, carp, censure frivolously, complain frivolously, condemn, criticize frivolously, decry, denigrate, denounce, deprecate, deride, disapprove, discredit, disparage frivolously, faultfind, find fault with, haggle, object frivolously, protest frivolously, raise frivolous objection to, raise objections frivolously, raise specious objection to, reprehend, ridicule irresponsibly, vellicare

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See also: bicker, blame, complain, condemn, criticize, denounce, differ, disagree, disapprove, disparage, pettifog, sophistry

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CAVIL. Sophism, subtlety. Cavilis a captious argument, by which a conclusion evidently false, is drawn from a principle evidently true: Ea est natura cavillationis ut ab evidenter veris, per brevissimas mutationes disputatio, ad ea quce evidentur falsa sunt perducatur. Dig. 60, 16, 177 et 233; Id. 17, 65; Id. 33, 2, 88.