debate
Americannoun
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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
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a formal contest in which the affirmative and negative sides of a proposition are advocated by opposing speakers.
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Archaic. strife; contention.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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to argue or discuss (a question, issue, or the like), as in a legislative or public assembly.
They debated the matter of free will.
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to dispute or disagree about.
The homeowners debated the value of a road on the island.
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to engage in formal argumentation or disputation with (another person, group, etc.).
Jones will debate Smith. Harvard will debate Princeton.
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to deliberate upon; consider.
He debated his decision in the matter.
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Archaic. to contend for or over.
noun
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a formal discussion, as in a legislative body, in which opposing arguments are put forward
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discussion or dispute
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the formal presentation and opposition of a specific motion, followed by a vote
verb
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to discuss (a motion), esp in a formal assembly
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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
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debaternoun
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nondebaternoun
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predebatenoun
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predebaternoun
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redebatenoun
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interdebateverb
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overdebateverb
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outdebateverb (used with object)
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nondebatingadjective
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postdebateadjective
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undebatedadjective
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undebatingadjective
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well-debatedadjective
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debatinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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debatesimple
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debatessimple
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have debatedperfect
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has debatedperfect
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am debatingprogressive
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are debatingprogressive
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is debatingprogressive
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have been debatingperfect progressive
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has been debatingperfect progressive
Past
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debatedsimple
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had debatedperfect
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was debatingprogressive
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were debatingprogressive
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had been debatingperfect progressive
Future
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
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!
Vocabulary lists containing debate
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The Articles of Confederation (1777)
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Speech and Debate
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“If that bothers you, don’t hesitate to mute or block me. I don’t have the capacity or patience to debate with internet strangers as to why they should be considerate of marginalized communities.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
As debate escalates over the implications of open-weight artificial intelligence in both Washington and Silicon Valley, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang made his position clear on Friday.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
It comes as the cybersecurity capacities of top models, including Anthropic’s Mythos, have helped fuel debate in Washington about how to regulate artificial intelligence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Younger ape fossils have been found across Africa, Asia, and Europe, but scientists continue to debate how these species were related and where their ancestors originated.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
We start off with this whole debate about whether or not the minibus that takes the mathletes to the big tournament in Denver has Wi-Fi or not.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
These models are not human, despite our many debates on how aware or not they are or will become.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
As activists gather beneath tarpaulin sheets in New Delhi, often holding all-night political debates, singing or reciting poetry, delivery drivers from online platforms weave through the barricades.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
These changing rules have prompted myriad workplace debates: Is it OK to wear shorts to an interview?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Mike Pence—previously House Republican Conference chairman—practically camped out on the Hill during key policy debates like the 2017 tax reform.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
Before very long, radio and television people began asking me to defend our Nation of Islam in panel discussions and debates.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
IBM’s board of directors has debated how to explain its recent results to investors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Friedkin’s movie shifted people’s perceptions about fear and played with longstanding ideas about the nuclear family and religious ideology, themes that were starting to be contested and debated as America moved further from ’50s-era sterility.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
South Korea is one of the most technologically advanced countries on earth, yet where it belongs in global stock indexes has been debated for years.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
The parents debated whether they should share such a private part of their lives and decided to wait until Whimsy had finished her treatments and doctors had a better grasp on the likely outcome.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
The decision was debated for some time, with committee members growing increasingly frustrated.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Groups sit in circles debating politics through the night.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Scientists have been debating that question for years, and the answer remains far from simple.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
Investors have also been debating whether memory-chip makers can escape their historic boom-bust cycles as AI demand skyrockets.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
Politicians have been debating this issue for a few years now.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
Bailey is debating whether or not it is a figment of his imagination when the man looks over at him, his eyes surprisingly bright, though Bailey cannot discern their color.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
