debate

American  

[dih-bayt] / dɪˈbeɪt /

noun

• debates
  plural

1. a discussion, as of a public question in an assembly, involving opposing viewpoints.

   a debate in the Senate on farm price supports.

   Synonyms:

   contention, disputation, controversy, argument

2. a formal contest in which the affirmative and negative sides of a proposition are advocated by opposing speakers.

3. deliberation; consideration.

4. Archaic. strife; contention.

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verb (used without object)

• debates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• debated,
  past participle,  past
• debating
  present participle

1. to engage in argument or discussion, as in a legislative or public assembly.

   When we left, the men were still debating.

   Synonyms:

   contend, dispute

2. to participate in a formal debate.

3. to deliberate; consider.

   I debated with myself whether to tell them the truth or not.

4. Obsolete. to fight; quarrel.

verb (used with object)

• debates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• debated,
  past participle,  past
• debating
  present participle

1. to argue or discuss (a question, issue, or the like), as in a legislative or public assembly.

   They debated the matter of free will.

2. to dispute or disagree about.

   The homeowners debated the value of a road on the island.

3. to engage in formal argumentation or disputation with (another person, group, etc.).

   Jones will debate Smith. Harvard will debate Princeton.

4. to deliberate upon; consider.

   He debated his decision in the matter.

5. Archaic. to contend for or over.

debate British  

/ dɪˈbeɪt /

noun

1. a formal discussion, as in a legislative body, in which opposing arguments are put forward

2. discussion or dispute

3. the formal presentation and opposition of a specific motion, followed by a vote

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verb

1. to discuss (a motion), esp in a formal assembly

2. to deliberate upon (something)

   he debated with himself whether to go

Usage

What does debate mean? A debate is a public discussion of a common topic or question between people on both sides of an issue, as in Voters were disappointed that there were no debates between the candidates. A debate is also a formal contest in which the debaters speak on opposite sides of a topic. Every debate is an argument but not every argument is a debate. While debates are competitive, both sides are attempting to persuade the other and the audience, not insult, hurt, or reprimand the other. To debate means to engage in such discussions, as in The senate spent all night debating these weighty issues. To debate also means to deliberate or weigh the pros and cons of a decision one has to make. Example: I debated going on the trip, but I decided it was best for my mental health to stay home.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• debater
  noun
• nondebater
  noun
• predebate
  noun
• predebater
  noun
• redebate
  noun
• interdebate
  verb
• overdebate
  verb
• outdebate
  verb (used with object)
• nondebating
  adjective
• postdebate
  adjective
• undebated
  adjective
• undebating
  adjective
• well-debated
  adjective
• debatingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• debates
  plural

Participles

• debating
  present
• debated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• debate
  simple
• debates
  simple
• have debated
  perfect
• has debated
  perfect
• am debating
  progressive
• are debating
  progressive
• is debating
  progressive
• have been debating
  perfect progressive
• has been debating
  perfect progressive

Past

• debated
  simple
• had debated
  perfect
• was debating
  progressive
• were debating
  progressive
• had been debating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will debate
  simple
• will have debated
  perfect
• will be debating
  progressive
• will have been debating
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of debate

First recorded in 1250–1300; (for the verb) Middle English debaten, from Old French debatre, from de- de- + batre “to beat” (from Latin battere, earlier battuere ); noun derivative of the verb

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Explanation

Another word for formally discuss is debate. Cheese lovers often debate the merits of gorgonzola, triple creme brie, and gouda. Of course, they need to accompany their arguments with a taste test! A debate is a kind of respectful, well reasoned argument over opposing points of view, although tensions can run high and voices can be raised. In fact, the verb evolved from the Old French debatre, meaning “to fight.” Most formal debates, during a political campaign for example, keep the battles to a minimum. But if you find yourself in the midst of a debate between a Red Sox fan and a Yankees fan, things could get ugly!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

debate debates debated debating

In a debate on 29 September, Deputy Transport Minister Mark Hooper said the black route was not achievable.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

I think the public debate has really focused in this case on the question of whether the criminal law failed.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

John Muir was at the center of the debate and noted that Yosemite had “been attacked by the spoilers ever since it was established.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

That applies to both camps in the debate, since no one can be sure how billionaires will react to the tax.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Eventually, after making one of these trips, he declared matter-of-factly, as if there was no room for debate, “Reshevsky’s busted.”

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

The promise of a more forthright approach means some public debates are starting much earlier now.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

And there are long-standing debates about the methodology of the tests.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

We didn’t notice any blow-ups of such magnitude in the debates we watched this week.

From Slate ● Oct. 10, 2026

In August, he told reporters there would be multiple debates.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

She loved the spirited discussions and provocative debates.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Educational inequality has been debated in France for 25 years, with disparities emerging as early as nursery school, Charbonnier said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Tony Roach, Southwest’s chief customer and brand officer, said Southwest debated names at length but kept it simple because that’s what frequent travelers know best.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Scientists have debated the origins of this uneven structure for decades.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

The budget will be debated in the Senedd on 3 November.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Seven briefly debated what to do, but she knew Valley had a few minutes at least; Thorn had almost no time before she would be taken away forever.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

The company is currently debating whether to partner with another automaker that already uses body-on-frame designs—an approach that would get vehicles in showrooms sooner—or work with North American suppliers to build one itself.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

And Becerra, who’s made himself exceedingly scarce, is stepping up and debating, as he should.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Now, Jenner is seemingly once again debating selling the home, with property records revealing that it has once again been swiped off the market, Realtor.com can exclusively reveal.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

"Brazil spent years debating how to regulate sports betting," the club said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026

I could tell Mrs. Baylor was debating whether or not to drive through the red light.

From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English

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Related Words

• answer
• bicker
• consider
• contest
• deliberate
• oppose
• question
• wrangle

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