Definition of debate
: 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 asa law, government : the formal discussion of a motion (see 1motion 3a) before a deliberative body according to the rules of parliamentary procedureb : a regulated discussion of a proposition (see 1proposition 1b) between two matched sides the last presidential debate before the election the debate's moderator
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Examples of debate in a Sentence
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.
Recent Examples of debate from the Web
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Indian television, in particular, has been infected by a style of hyperbolic ranting that makes some debate programmes hard to watch.
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Increased Dominance Small lenders are seen as a pivotal to the debate because some lawmakers are adamant that consumers and taxpayers benefit when such firms are active in the mortgage market.
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McConnell scorched the earth in the middle ground that should have been available for an open and honest policy debate.
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Tom Cole of Oklahoma and Chris Stewart of Utah, who both said Congress had put off the debate for too long.
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The new plan was presented July 18 and comes on the heels of an already heated debate regarding the Republican Party's controversial health care bill.
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Trump Jr.’s disclosure on Tuesday sent Washington into a tailspin and incited a contentious legal debate over whether the eldest Trump son had broken any laws.
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A great debate even ensued last year over which British actor would take Craig's place.
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On the other side of the debate over states’ rights, Murray is weighing whether to run for governor of Wyoming in 2018.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'debate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of debate
see 2debate
debate
Definition of debate
debated
;debating
intransitive verb
2a : to contend in wordsb : to discuss a question by considering opposed arguments
3 : to participate in a debate the six primary candidates who debated last night
transitive verb
1a : to argue about the subject was hotly debatedb : 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
debater
nounExamples of debate in a Sentence
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.
Recent Examples of debate from the Web
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Number-one issue being debated there is healthcare.
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Fearing that another attack at a concert could happen anytime, fans of Justin Bieber are currently debating whether the pop star should cancel his upcoming U.K. tour dates.
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Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tim Weiner and Intercept writer Trevor Aaronson discuss the firing of James Comey and debate his FBI legacy.
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This interplay between the in-game representation and the more tabletop-esque act of players sitting around and debating what to do next is really what made my Divinity demo special.
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The city's toothless lobbying rules could get some bite this month under a set of proposals City Council members will debate, but one option under consideration would weaken them even further.
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Paleontologists debated the issue for decades afterward, trying to fill the anatomical gaps on either side of the urvogel.
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Scholars have long debated the defining element of great Southern literature.
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Biblical scholars have long debated whether the Tower of Babel really existed.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'debate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of debate
Middle English, from Anglo-French debatre, from de- + batre to beat, from Latin battuere
Synonym Discussion of debate
DEBATE Defined for English Language Learners
debate
playDefinition of debate for English Language Learners
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: a discussion between people in which they express different opinions about something
debate
Definition of debate for English Language Learners
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: to discuss (something) with people whose opinions are different from your own
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: to compete against (someone) in a debate : to argue against another person's opinions as part of an organized event
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: to think about (something) in order to decide what to do
DEBATE Defined for Kids
Definition of debate for Students
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.
Definition of debate for Students
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
debater
nounLearn More about debate
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See words that rhyme with debate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for debate Spanish Central: Translation of debate Nglish: Translation of debate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of debate for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about debate
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