debate

American  

[dih-beyt] / 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

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!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

debate debates debated debating

The debate about social media and child safety rages on, as Meta faces a slew of similar lawsuits similar to this one.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

Recall the debate about SpaceX when it went public.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

A meeting of the Committee of Ministers in mid-September is likely to prioritise the Kavala case, but it remains to be seen whether it will debate harsh punitive measures.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Her campaign has since stumbled, notably when she acknowledged during a debate that she was "not that informed on national security" while answering a question about Taiwan.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

The more romantic case for the Potomac entered the debate duringMadison’s initial speech against the Susquehanna site.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

At the same time, he’s exasperated by the endless debates on how to award them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

The death of country music icon Dolly Parton, who kept her distance from the political debates gripping America, offered a rare moment of unity to a divided nation on Tuesday.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

What started for Mei as a "going out stack" before nights out soon spread to exams, speeches and debates.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

One that does not commit so much time and energy to go-nowhere debates?

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

Rather, debates are conducted, and crucial decisions arrived at, in the privacy and calm of the great houses of this country.

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro

But the meaning and power of this particular clause has long been debated and seldom invoked.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

"The mechanism responsible for the emergence of this second phase has long been debated, and our approach provides a powerful new way to uncover the hidden physics behind phase transitions in quantum materials," Gedik says.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026

Legal scholars have debated whether surrogates should pay legal damages if they fail to honor a contractual abortion provision, surrender payments remaining on the contract, or even pay back money they already received.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

While the timelines on commercially meaningful quantum computers are sometimes vague and debated, enterprises are investing today.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Instead, as we moved from one relic to the next, they debated philosophy—Hobbes and Descartes, Aquinas and Machiavelli.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

Therefore, it is “the default connectivity partner” for customers debating between copper and fiber components, in his view.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

I’m all for rallying around a book or author and debating their merits like it’s a sporting match.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Scientists studying ancient human remains have frequently used evidence of congenital infection when debating whether syphilis was present outside the Americas before the voyages of Christopher Columbus.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026

The education of John Maynard Keynes, the election that divided America, debating Alfred Hitchcock’s legacy and more.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

In the operating room, the doctors are debating what music to play, just like we were in the car this morning.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

Related Words

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