debate
1 of 2noun
de·bate di-ˈbāt 
dē-
: a contention by words or arguments
Our polite chat about politics became a heated debate.
The case sparked a raging public debate on property rights.
: such as a
: a regulated discussion of a proposition (see proposition entry 1 sense 1b) between two matched sides
the last presidential debate before the election
the debate's moderator
b
law and government : the formal discussion of a motion (see motion entry 1 sense 3a) before a deliberative body according to the rules of parliamentary procedure
debate
2 of 2verb
debated; debating
transitive verb
1
a
: to argue about
the subject was hotly debated
b
: to engage (an opponent) in debate
a governor debating her challenger
2
: to turn over in one's mind : to think about (something, such as different options) in order to decide
still debating what to do
intransitive verb
1
: to participate in a debate
the six primary candidates who debated last night
2
a
: to contend in words
b
: to discuss a question by considering opposed arguments
3
obsolete : fight, contend
debatement
di-ˈbāt-mənt
noun dē-
debater noun
Synonyms
Noun
- account
- advisement
- consideration
- deliberation
- reflection
- study
- thought
Verb
- chew over
- cogitate
- consider
- contemplate
- deliberate
- entertain
- eye
- kick around
- meditate
- mull (over)
- perpend
- ponder
- pore (over)
- question
- revolve
- ruminate
- study
- think (about or over)
- turn
- weigh
- wrestle (with)
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun The candidates participated in several debates before the election was held. The meaning of the text has been the subject of considerable debate among scholars for many years. Verb Scholars have been debating the meaning of the text for years. Whether or not the tax cuts benefit the lower classes is still hotly debated among economists. The energy bill is currently being debated in Congress. The President debated his challenger in front of a live audience on Tuesday. The students debated for an hour. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Lev Facher, STAT, 11 Sep. 2022 The school has also long been a venue for political debates between local and statewide candidates and even hosted a mayoral primary debate this year. Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2022 As the Bears prepare for their season opener Sunday at their current home, Soldier Field, the future of that century-old stadium and potential for a new stadium may hinge largely on an economic debate. Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2022 The biggest debate in this week's USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll will come at the top. Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2022 The debate has intensified in Australia, where voters in 1999 rejected a constitutional amendment to abolish the monarchy. Mike Cherney, WSJ, 11 Sep. 2022 Despite an ongoing debate on how history should be taught in school, lessons about 9/11 continue to highlight the courageous acts of men and women at the World Trade Center and first responders. Sarah Rumpf, Fox News, 11 Sep. 2022 But the image of a fearless teen, with curly blonde hair and pink shirt, slapping a heavily armed soldier sparked interest and debate across the world. Nadeem Muaddi, CNN, 10 Sep. 2022 Lawmakers have since been called back to the Capitol, where debate on antiabortion legislation will resume next week. Anchorage Daily News, 10 Sep. 2022 Bob Carden, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2022 Because Sahelanthropus lived so close to the divergence between hominins and apes, scientists debate whether the fossils are from an individual who lived after that divergence, or perhaps one who lived just before the divergence. Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Aug. 2022 The Question Men were leaders of government agencies and captains of industry who convened in March 1939 to debate what those questions should be. Karen Sandstrom, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2022 For the first time in a quarter century, the U.N. General Assembly met in emergency session to debate a resolution condemning the invasion. Richard Fontaine, WSJ, 11 Mar. 2022 In late November, a special meeting of the World Health Assembly convened to debate establishing a new international agreement for pandemic preparedness. Helen Branswell, STAT, 25 Dec. 2021 Perhaps, the time has come to debate how carbon budgets should be constructed using a mix of emission reduction and carbon removal. Nives Dolsak And Aseem Prakash, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2021 While scientists debate if the multiverse actually exists, Wiz Khalifa went out and created his own. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 3 Aug. 2022 While economists can debate whether that label is correct, what matters most is voters’ perception about how things are going – and that’s not good. Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 28 July 2022 See More
Noun
The debate highlights a fundamental divide in U.S. drug policy. Lev Facher, STAT, 11 Sep. 2022 The school has also long been a venue for political debates between local and statewide candidates and even hosted a mayoral primary debate this year. Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2022 As the Bears prepare for their season opener Sunday at their current home, Soldier Field, the future of that century-old stadium and potential for a new stadium may hinge largely on an economic debate. Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2022 The biggest debate in this week's USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll will come at the top. Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2022 The debate has intensified in Australia, where voters in 1999 rejected a constitutional amendment to abolish the monarchy. Mike Cherney, WSJ, 11 Sep. 2022 Despite an ongoing debate on how history should be taught in school, lessons about 9/11 continue to highlight the courageous acts of men and women at the World Trade Center and first responders. Sarah Rumpf, Fox News, 11 Sep. 2022 But the image of a fearless teen, with curly blonde hair and pink shirt, slapping a heavily armed soldier sparked interest and debate across the world. Nadeem Muaddi, CNN, 10 Sep. 2022 Lawmakers have since been called back to the Capitol, where debate on antiabortion legislation will resume next week. Anchorage Daily News, 10 Sep. 2022 Verb
Historians and scholars endlessly debate the effectiveness of terror bombing as a military strategy. Bob Carden, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2022 Because Sahelanthropus lived so close to the divergence between hominins and apes, scientists debate whether the fossils are from an individual who lived after that divergence, or perhaps one who lived just before the divergence. Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Aug. 2022 The Question Men were leaders of government agencies and captains of industry who convened in March 1939 to debate what those questions should be. Karen Sandstrom, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2022 For the first time in a quarter century, the U.N. General Assembly met in emergency session to debate a resolution condemning the invasion. Richard Fontaine, WSJ, 11 Mar. 2022 In late November, a special meeting of the World Health Assembly convened to debate establishing a new international agreement for pandemic preparedness. Helen Branswell, STAT, 25 Dec. 2021 Perhaps, the time has come to debate how carbon budgets should be constructed using a mix of emission reduction and carbon removal. Nives Dolsak And Aseem Prakash, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2021 While scientists debate if the multiverse actually exists, Wiz Khalifa went out and created his own. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 3 Aug. 2022 While economists can debate whether that label is correct, what matters most is voters’ perception about how things are going – and that’s not good. Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 28 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb and Noun
Middle English, from Anglo-French debatre, from de- + batre to beat, from Latin battuere
First Known Use
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined above
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 3
Phrases Containing debate
Kids Definition
debate 1 of 2
noun
de·bate di-ˈbāt
1
: a discussion or argument carried on between two teams or sides
2
: a discussion of issues We had a debate over where to go on vacation.
debate
2 of 2verb
debated; debating
1
: to discuss a question by giving arguments on both sides : take part in a debate
2
: to consider reasons for and against : give serious and careful thought to
Mrs. Welsch seemed to be debating whether to say what she finally did. Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy
Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spydebated 1 of 2
adjective
as in disputed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- disputed
- controversial
- debatable
- inconclusive
- uncertain
- problematic
- moot
- iffy
- refutable
- arguable
- disputable
- problematical
- speculative
- indecisive
- contradictable
- questionable
- shaky
- hypothetical
- dubious
- ambiguous
- negotiable
- doubtful
- theoretical
- controvertible
- issuable
- theoretic
- doubtable
- academic
- equivocal
- academical
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- settled
- sure
- certain
- undebatable
- indisputable
- unanswerable
- accomplished
- undeniable
- positive
- incontestable
- unquestionable
- incontrovertible
- inarguable
- unarguable
- indubitable
- definite
- irrefutable
- questionless
- irrefragable
- unchallengeable
- decisive
- conclusive
- unequivocal
- clear
- hands-down
- undisputed
- unambiguous
- uncontested
- absolute
debated
2 of 2verb
1
as in pondered
to give serious and careful thought to still debating what to do Synonyms & Similar Words
- pondered
- contemplated
- considered
- studied
- questioned
- entertained
- weighed
- explored
- deliberated
- reviewed
- analyzed
- eyed
- ruminated
- cogitated
- revolved
- meditated
- looked at
- chewed on
- chewed over
- perpended
- turned
- digested
- kicked around
- reminisced
- mulled (over)
- concluded
- reasoned
- thought (about or over)
- believed
- wrestled (with)
- opined
- pored (over)
- beat one's brains out (about)
- cudgeled one's brains (about)
- conceived
- absorbed
- second-guessed
- mused (upon)
- reflected (on or upon)
- assimilated
- speculated (about)
- fixated (on or upon)
- dwelt (on or upon)
- obsessed (about or over)
- dwelled (on or upon)
- fretted (about or over)
- brooded (about or over)
- drank (in)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- ignored
- disregarded
- overlooked
- dismissed
- rejected
- slighted
- pooh-poohed
- poohed
2
as in discussed
to talk about (an issue) usually from various points of view and for the purpose of arriving at a decision or opinion we debated the advantages versus the disadvantages of the proposed waterfront development Synonyms & Similar Words
- discussed
- argued
- disputed
- reviewed
- canvassed
- mooted
- bandied
- talked over
- agitated
- considered
- raised
- canvased
- introduced
- deliberated
- propounded
- broached
- weighed
- hashed (over or out)
- batted (around or back and forth)
- stirred up
- talked out
- hammered out
- spoke (about)
- forged
- talked (about)
- chewed over
- thrashed (out)
- wrestled (with)