What does "dispute" mean?
An argument or disagreement; a failure to agree.
Dispute
/ˈdɪs.pjut/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An argument or disagreement; a failure to agree.
- Grammar: dispute is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: argument, conflict, controversy, difference.
- Useful contrasts: legal consensus, nonmoving premise, forcefully argued case.
- Usage evidence: Two different parties with common interests were on the warpath when he cut in to settle the dispute.
How to use "dispute"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dispute" 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 "dispute" 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 "dispute" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dispute" 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 "dispute" 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 "dispute", 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 disagreement; a failure to agree.
"But is not this dispute over the question whether we have free will or not very like a dispute that we might engage in over the color of a tree — whether it be green or blue?"
- 2 coming into conflict with wordnet
- 3 An argument or disagreement; a failure to agree.; A disagreement between parties in a contract, lawsuit, treaty, or other legal matter.
"Canadian experience throws light on the relative merits of a separate board for each dispute as compared with a permanent board to hear all disputes."
- 4 a disagreement or argument about something important wordnet
- 5 Verbal controversy or disagreement; altercation; debate. uncountable
"Addicted more / To contemplation and profound dispute."
Verb
- 1 to contend in argument; to argue against something maintained, upheld, or claimed, by another. intransitive
""Now, though thy thoughts are green and tender, as becometh one so young, yet are they those of a thinking brain, and in truth thou dost bring back to my mind certain of those old philosophers with whom in days bygone I have disputed at Athens, and at Becca in Arabia, for thou hast the same crabbed air and dusty look, as though thou hadst passed thy days in reading ill-writ Greek, and been stained dark with the grime of manuscripts.""
- 2 have a disagreement over something wordnet
- 3 to make a subject of disputation; to argue pro and con; to discuss transitive
"Some residents disputed the proposal, saying it was based more on emotion than fact."
- 4 take exception to wordnet
- 5 to oppose by argument or assertion; to controvert; to express dissent or opposition to; to call in question; to deny the truth or validity of
"to dispute assertions or arguments"
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 to strive or contend about; to contest
"to dispute the possession of the ground with the Spaniards"
- 7 to struggle against; to resist obsolete
"Dispute it [grief] like a man."
Antonyms
Example
"Two different parties with common interests were on the warpath when he cut in to settle the dispute."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dispute"?
Common synonyms include: argument, conflict, controversy, difference, disagreement, quarrel.
How do you use "dispute" in a sentence?
Two different parties with common interests were on the warpath when he cut in to settle the dispute.
How do you pronounce "dispute"?
Pronounced /ˈdɪs.pjut/.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dews-? Proto-Indo-European *dus- Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwi- Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwís Latin dis- Proto-Italic *putos Latin putus? Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin putō Latin disputo Old French desputerbor. Middle English disputen English dispute From Middle English disputen, from Old French desputer (French disputer), from Latin disputāre (“to dispute, discuss, examine, compute, estimate”), from dis- (“apart”) + putāre (“to reckon, consider, think, originally make clean, clear up”), related to purus (“pure”). Compare compute, count, impute, repute, amputate, etc.