debate

verb

debated; debating

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

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

3

obsolete : fight, contend

debatement

di-ˈbāt-mənt 

dē-

noun

debater noun

Synonyms of debate

• ponder
• contemplate
• question
• study
• entertain
• consider
• weigh
• eye
• explore

Choose the Right Synonym for debate

discuss, argue, debate mean to discourse about in order to reach conclusions or to convince.

discuss implies a sifting of possibilities especially by presenting considerations pro and con.

discussed the need for a new highway

argue implies the offering of reasons or evidence in support of convictions already held.

argued that the project would be too costly

debate suggests formal or public argument between opposing parties

debated the merits of the amendment

; it may also apply to deliberation with oneself.

I'm debating whether I should go

Examples 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 on the Web

The topic has been hotly debated in the West since a federal court last year ruled the practice of corner crossing legal in Wyoming. —Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2026

Invest your energies there, rather than in trying to debate with your mother or inserting yourself into the conflict between your father and this man. —R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 4 June 2026

Eventually, the position became almost indistinguishable from that of a territorial delegate, gaining the right to debate but never to vote. —Austin Bussing, The Conversation, 4 June 2026

The proposals from the EU's executive arm still need to be debated by the EU's two other main institutions, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. —ABC News, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French debatre, from de- + batre to beat, from Latin battuere

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 3

Phrases Containing debate

• a matter of debate
• open to debate
• under debate

Rhymes for debate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Kids 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