dispute
Americanverb (used without object)
-
disputes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
disputed,
past participle, past
-
disputing
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
disputes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
disputed,
past participle, past
-
disputing
present participle
-
to argue or debate about; discuss.
Whether excessive time spent on the internet can be called an addiction is hotly disputed.
-
to argue against; call into question.
Historians dispute this claim, suggesting Raleigh could not possibly have discovered the potato in the places he visited.
-
to quarrel or fight about; contest.
We stopped to watch a puffed-up crow disputing territory with a cat.
-
Archaic. to strive against; oppose.
to dispute an advance of troops.
noun
-
disputes
plural
-
a debate, controversy, or difference of opinion.
Players were elated when the equal pay dispute was finally resolved.
-
a wrangling argument; quarrel.
Some women at the end of the bar were having a noisy dispute about who should be the designated driver.
- Synonyms:
- bickering, squabble, wrangle, altercation, disputation
idioms
verb
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to argue, debate, or quarrel about (something)
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(tr; may take a clause as object) to doubt the validity, etc, of
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(tr) to seek to win; contest for
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(tr) to struggle against; resist
noun
Synonym Usage
See argument.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
disputesimple
-
disputessimple
-
have disputedperfect
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has disputedperfect
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am disputingprogressive
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are disputingprogressive
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is disputingprogressive
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have been disputingperfect progressive
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has been disputingperfect progressive
Past
-
disputedsimple
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had disputedperfect
-
was disputingprogressive
-
were disputingprogressive
-
had been disputingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dispute
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English verb disputen, dispuiten, desputen, either from Anglo-French, Old French desputer or directly from Latin disputāre “to argue a point,” equivalent to dis- dis- 1 + putāre “to reckon, consider”; noun derivative of the verb; see putative
Explanation
If kids can't settle their own argument, they may need someone to mediate their dispute, or conflict. You can often tell this is the case if you hear the loud cry, "Mom!" The noun dispute means any conflict or disagreement. The countries were in the middle of a border dispute; both sides claimed the toxic waste dump belonged to the other. As a verb, dispute can mean to quarrel or argue, but it can also mean to take exception to something. If your boasting friend crows because you lost the trivia game to her by 150 points, you may want to dispute the facts. It was only 145 points.
Vocabulary lists containing dispute
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 5
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The New SAT: The Language of the Test
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The ACT: The Language of the Test, List 3
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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:
The defence, which rested its case on Friday, does not dispute that Clancy carried out the killings but say she has pleaded not guilty to murder charges because she was experiencing postpartum psychosis.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio da Silva urged US counterpart Donald Trump in a phone call on Friday to resolve their countries' trade dispute, saying US tariffs were imposed on "baseless" grounds.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
Venezuela’s oil minister, Paula Henao, told a Houston investment conference on Wednesday that the country’s new legal and regulatory changes offer “a much clearer regulatory framework, with legal certainty for the investor, with dispute resolution.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
But resorting to litigation rather than negotiating a settlement to this trivial dispute could open a new source of pain.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
The new battle became an argument between catastrophism and uniformitarianism–unattractive terms for an important and very long-running dispute.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
Their journey since relegation in 2001 has been rarely straightforward as Coventry were forced to leave their historic home at Highfield Road, endured ownership disputes and spent spells playing home games in Northampton and Birmingham.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Because of confidentiality provisions and the private nature of these disputes, there is plenty we don’t know about how common fights like this one are—or how they’re resolved.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
If the company upholds its decision, he should then file a complaint with his state’s insurance department and/or consult an attorney who specializes in property-insurance disputes.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
Over the past seven years, Judge Rudofsky has earned a reputation as a cerebral jurist willing to reconsider legal disputes from an originalist perspective.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
‘In disputes about natural phenomena,’ wrote Galileo, ‘one must not begin with the authority of scriptural passages, but with sensory experience and necessary demonstrations.’
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
Nonetheless, the exercise adds to tensions between Moscow and Tokyo that were heightened when Putin visited the disputed islands for the first time earlier this month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Lord Braid said this case was "less straightforward" as her parents were "actively opposed" to the treatment and "disputed the medical science".
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
David Wachsman, a spokesperson for World Liberty Financial, disputed the criticism, saying the preliminary approval is “great news for consumer and investor protection advocates and for the American financial services industry.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
The Navy has acknowledged mental health cases but disputed reports that the ship is experiencing a broader crisis.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
At this stage, the accuracy of the quotes have not been disputed.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Hims & Hers is disputing the claims and said it would defend itself in court.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
We argued that the government shouldn’t be allowed to punish American citizens while forbidding them from publicly disputing the accusations, aside from grave matters of national security.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
This makes July 10, 2026, the red-letter day because taxpayers usually have three years after filing a return to make a claim disputing a penalty, according to Collins.
From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026
The case has garnered the attention of the federal Department of Justice, which filed a brief this month disputing an argument made by the insurers to have the case thrown out.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 16, 2026
Feeling the cold grip my bones, I continue walking, disputing with myself this question of disobedience and punishment.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
