at issue

Idioms  

1. In question, under discussion; also, to be decided. For example, Who will pay for the refreshments was the point at issue . [Early 1800s]

2. In conflict, in disagreement, as in Physicians are still at issue over the appropriate use of hormone therapy . This usage, from legal terminology, was defined by Sir William Blackstone ( Commentaries on the Laws of England , 1768), who said that when a point is affirmed by one side and denied by the other, “they are then said to be at issue .”

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Example Sentences

But there is a trade-off between the amount of money at issue here and the time and grief trying to get reimbursed could cause you.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

“More factual development is necessary and it may be that the only government action at issue is termination of grants for which I have no jurisdiction to review,” Shah wrote.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026

“Where jurisdictional questions are at issue, the Commission has the expertise and responsibility to defend its exclusive jurisdiction over commodity derivatives,” Selig said.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

But at issue in this case are design choices about algorithms, notifications and other features that affect how people use their apps.

From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026

The principle at issue was straightforward: natural facts must be replicable and reproducible if they are to count as facts at all.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• debatable
• problematic
• unresolved
• unsettled