What does "debate" mean?
An argument, or discussion, usually in an ordered or formal setting, often with more than two people, generally ending with a vote or other decision.
Debate
/dɪˈbeɪt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An argument, or discussion, usually in an ordered or formal setting, often with more than two people, generally ending with a vote or other decision.
- Grammar: debate is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: argument, academic dissent, address, after-dinner speech.
- Useful contrasts: legal consensus, accept, acquiescing.
- Usage evidence: The war on Iraq is a volatile subject of political debate; any wrong word and a heated argument could spark.
How to use "debate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "debate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "debate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "debate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "debate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "debate" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "argument" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "debate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An argument, or discussion, usually in an ordered or formal setting, often with more than two people, generally ending with a vote or other decision. countable, uncountable
"After a four-hour debate, the committee voted to table the motion."
- 2 a discussion in which reasons are advanced for and against some proposition or proposal wordnet
- 3 An informal and spirited but generally civil discussion of opposing views. countable, uncountable
"The debate over the age of the universe is thousands of years old."
- 4 the formal presentation of a stated proposition and the opposition to it (usually followed by a vote) wordnet
- 5 Discussion of opposing views. uncountable
"There has been considerable debate concerning exactly how to format these articles."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A type of literary composition, taking the form of a discussion or disputation, commonly found in the vernacular medieval poetry of many European countries, as well as in medieval Latin. countable, uncountable
- 7 Strife, discord. countable, obsolete, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To participate in a debate; to dispute, argue, especially in a public arena. ambitransitive, reciprocal
""Debate me, coward!" snarled the completely normal intellectual."
- 2 argue with one another wordnet
- 3 To fight. intransitive, obsolete, reciprocal
"Well knew they both his person, sith of late / With him in bloudie armes they rashly did debate."
- 4 have an argument about something wordnet
- 5 To engage in combat for; to strive for. obsolete, transitive
"Volunteers […] thronged to serve under his banner, and the cause of religion was debated with the same ardour in Spain as on the plains of Palestine."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 discuss the pros and cons of an issue wordnet
- 7 To consider (to oneself), to think over, to attempt to decide transitive
"He was debating where he'd spend his holiday."
- 8 think about carefully; weigh wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The war on Iraq is a volatile subject of political debate; any wrong word and a heated argument could spark."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "debate"?
Common synonyms include: argument, academic dissent, address, after-dinner speech, agitate, agon.
How do you use "debate" in a sentence?
The war on Iraq is a volatile subject of political debate; any wrong word and a heated argument could spark.
How do you pronounce "debate"?
Pronounced /dɪˈbeɪt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English debaten, from Old French debatre (“to fight, contend, debate, also literally to beat down”), from Romanic desbattere, from Latin dis- (“apart, in different directions”) + battuō (“to beat, to fence”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English debat, borrowed from Old French debat, deverbal of debatre, see Etymology 1 for more.