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 Grok model’s biggest advantage is likely its cost per token, which has been the subject of debate across the industry.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026

And the convention approves this unanimously without noted debate because it’s so freaking obvious, right?

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

And others are using AI-detection software to vet manuscripts, although the accuracy of these tools remains a source of debate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Central midfield is also an area of debate.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Thanks to the efforts of Jefferson and Madison, the ongoing debate would have a decidedly southern accent.

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

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

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

Schwarz, who previously worked in the Google Research organization, recalled internal debates about the potential risks of such a strategy.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026

Some cases spilled into TV debates, police complaints and political statements.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

There are still debates about the origins of the virus, but the idea that Fauci created or enabled it in some way is ridiculous.

From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026

They chatter up and down the line, sometimes laughing and joking, sometimes spitting bitter debates.

From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz

It is due to be debated in the Commons on 11 September.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

For nearly three decades, a onetime Compton gang leader named Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been one of the most vocal theorists about one of the most debated celebrity killings ever.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

The impact of parenting is still debated to this day.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

Meet Whitney Frick, the editor behind your book club’s most hotly debated titles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

I debated skipping practice—there was nothing I wanted to do more—but Coach would make my life hell if I did, and hell would make it harder to hang out with Aileen again.

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely

Many will be all too familiar with debating how much information to include and how available you will be - and whether to inject some personality into your message, or even risk cracking a joke.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

The farm-and-ranch chain Tractor Supply made a strategic pivot this summer, after its executives spent months debating whether inflation and other pressures squeezing their customers would be short-lived.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Transit advocates likewise dismissed the idea, arguing lawmakers should remain focused on completing the station’s redevelopment and improving passenger service rather than debating a name change.

From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026

Groups sit in circles debating politics through the night.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

Darnell was a sincere young man, and I could tell he'd been debating for a while whether to contact me.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

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