dispute

¹dis·pute

verb \di-ˈspyüt\

dis·put·eddis·put·ing

Definition of DISPUTE

intransitive verb

: to engage in argument : debate; especially : to argue irritably or with irritating persistence

transitive verb

1

a : to make the subject of disputation <legislators hotly disputed the bill> b : to call into question <her honesty was never disputed>

2

a : to struggle against : oppose <disputed the advance of the invaders> b : to contend over <both sides disputed the bridgehead>

— dis·put·able \di-ˈspyü-tə-bəl, ˈdis-pyə-\ adjective

— dis·put·ably \-blē\ adverb

— dis·put·er noun

Examples of DISPUTE

1. You can dispute your bill if you believe it is inaccurate.
2. These estimates are hotly disputed by scientists.
3. No one ever disputed that it was the right decision.
4. The source of the text has been disputed for centuries.
5. a part of the city where two drug gangs are disputing territory

Origin of DISPUTE

Middle English, from Anglo-French desputer, from Latin disputare to discuss, from dis- + putare to think

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to DISPUTE

Synonyms: contest, challenge, impeach, oppugn, query, question

Antonyms: accept, believe, embrace, swallow

Related Words: doubt, mistrust; kick (about), object (to), protest; combat, fight, oppose, resist

Near Antonyms: back, defend, support; advocate, champion, promote; abide, endure, stomach, tolerate

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with DISPUTE

acute, astute, Asyût, bear fruit, beetroot, Beirut, birthroot, bloodroot, breadfruit, butut, cahoot, Canute, catsuit, cheroot, choucroute, clubroot, commute, compute, confute, crapshoot, cube root, deaf-mute, depute, dilute, dry suit, elute, en route, enroot, flight suit, folkmoot, freeboot, galoot, grapefruit, G suit, hardboot, hip boot, hirsute, imbrute, impute, jackboot, jackfruit, jumpsuit, kashruth, lawsuit, long suit, lounge suit, minute, nonsuit, offshoot, outshoot, Paiute, pantsuit, permute, playsuit, pollute, pursuit, recruit, refute, repute, salute, sans doute, seaboot, snowsuit, solute, square root, star fruit, star route, statute, strong suit, sunsuit, sweat suit, swimsuit, take root, taproot, to boot, tracksuit, trade route, transmute, tribute, uproot, volute, wet suit