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esgrimir

to wield, brandish

verb ehs-gree-MEER Rare
Communication Speech

Origin: From Occitan 'escremir', of Germanic origin.

Also means

to invoke (an argument)

Usage Note

Esgrimir literally means to brandish a weapon — its root is the same as esgrima ('fencing'). Figuratively, and very commonly in formal and journalistic Spanish, it means to invoke or put forward an argument or reason: esgrimió razones económicas ('he invoked economic reasons'). The figurative use far outnumbers the literal one in contemporary prose.

Examples

"El abogado esgrimió sólidos argumentos."

Natural Translation

The lawyer put forward solid arguments.

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