: 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 4a) before a deliberative body according to the rules of parliamentary procedure
debated; debating
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
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
debater
noun
Examples of debate in a Sentence
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2025
The robot’s unusual appearance and role have quickly sparked curiosity and debate among locals.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 6 Dec. 2025
Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 6 Dec. 2025
But trading has been volatile as investors debate whether Netflix will be able to muster regulatory support.
—Christina Cheddar Berk, CNBC, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debate
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Noun
The Bulldogs controlled the game and didn’t allow Alabama to score until the fourth quarter, which will spark a second consecutive bubble debate about Alabama after the Crimson Tide were the first team out last year.
—The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2025
The robot’s unusual appearance and role have quickly sparked curiosity and debate among locals.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 6 Dec. 2025
Verb
But, government officials may not make substantive decisions about the budget or debate approving or rejecting the budget, Loy said.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 6 Dec. 2025
But trading has been volatile as investors debate whether Netflix will be able to muster regulatory support.
—Christina Cheddar Berk, CNBC, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debate
Cite this Entry
“Debate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debate. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
debate
1 of 2 noun
de·bate
di-ˈbāt 
: a verbal argument: as
a
: the discussion of a motion before a legislature
b
: a regulated discussion of a problem between two matched sides
debate
2 of 2 verb
debated; debating
1
: to discuss or examine a question often publicly by presenting and considering arguments on both sides
2
: to take part in a debate
3
: to present or consider the reasons for and against : consider
debater
noun
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