: 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 3a) 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
Lucy Tu, The Atlantic, 11 July 2025
Regardless of partisan debate, Gould’s confirmation marks what many can officially call a comeback for the OCC’s crypto-forward regulatory approach, which stalled under the previous administration.
—Jason Brett, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
The exact circumstances and fuzzy details of the riot have been debated and researched for decades — including an urban legend that some cadets in College Station attempted to take a howitzer to Waco via a rail car.
—David Ubben, New York Times, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for debate
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Noun
This debate poses an obstacle to any easy policy wins for the Trump administration on IVF.
—Lucy Tu, The Atlantic, 11 July 2025
Regardless of partisan debate, Gould’s confirmation marks what many can officially call a comeback for the OCC’s crypto-forward regulatory approach, which stalled under the previous administration.
—Jason Brett, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Verb
While addressing the overall tax environment and tax treatment of cryptoassets is beyond the scope of any one singular week there are specific items that lawmakers need to keep front of mind as stablecoins and cryptoassets more broadly are debated.
—Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
The exact circumstances and fuzzy details of the riot have been debated and researched for decades — including an urban legend that some cadets in College Station attempted to take a howitzer to Waco via a rail car.
—David Ubben, New York Times, 11 July 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 24 Jul. 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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