dispute
verb
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Definition of dispute
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to engage in argument : debate especially : to argue irritably or with irritating persistence
1a : to make the subject of verbal controversy or disputation Legislators hotly disputed the bill.
b : to call into question or cast doubt upon Her honesty was never disputed. The witness disputed the defendant's claim.
2a : to struggle against : oppose disputed the advance of the invaders
b : to contend over disputing ownership of the land
dispute
noun
ˈdis-ˌpyüt
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Definition of dispute (Entry 2 of 2)
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Other Words from dispute
Verb
ˈdis-pyə-
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adjective
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adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for dispute
Synonyms: Verb
challenge, contest, impeach, oppugn, query, question
Synonyms: Noun
controversy, debate, difference, difficulty, disagreement, disputation, dissension (also dissention), firestorm
Antonyms: Verb
accept, believe, embrace, swallow
Antonyms: Noun
accord, agreement, consensus, harmony, unanimity
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Examples of dispute in a Sentence
Verb
You can dispute your bill if you believe it is inaccurate. These estimates are hotly disputed by scientists. No one ever disputed that it was the right decision. The source of the text has been disputed for centuries. a part of the city where two drug gangs are disputing territoryNoun
They could not settle their dispute. There is a labor dispute between workers and management. The two farmers are involved in a land dispute.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
But as his estrangement from traditional US allies deepens and the outcomes of his summit with Kim Jong Un are disputed, an uncertain and challenging road is coming into clearer view. — Jeremy Diamond, Jeff Zeleny And Kevin Liptak, CNN, "Trump resets the world stage," 13 June 2018 Few people tried to dispute that the young singer didn't rightfully earn the Golden Buzzer. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "'America's Got Talent' Contestant Makayla Phillips Earns Golden Buzzer and Fans Are Furious," 11 July 2018 Though a set of tracks found in Nevada in 2008 was identified in 570 million-year-old rock, researchers dispute whether those were really bug tracks or just naturally occurring indentations. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Oldest Footprints Show When Life On Earth Got Legs," 11 June 2018 No one seemed to dispute that MS-13 is, in fact, a shockingly violent street gang whose members should be brought to justice for committing monstrous acts. — Mari Uyehara, GQ, "What Trump Really Means When He Talks About Migrant Children, MS-13, and "Animals"," 30 May 2018 People close to Moonves dispute the characterization of those meetings, saying the idea of selling a merged CBS and Viacom to another company did not figure in the discussions. — Edmund Lee, Recode, "Shari Redstone’s endgame for CBS and Viacom is clear in this new complaint," 29 May 2018 Tesla disputed Consumer Reports' numbers, telling the magazine that their own measurements showed a stopping distance from 60 to 0 mph was an average of 133 feet. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Tesla Will Fix the Model 3's Wonky Brakes with a Firmware Update," 22 May 2018 The Bears Ears dispute concerns more than just ruins. — Abe Streep, Outside Online, "The Tribes v. Donald Trump," 1 May 2018 And critics can be wrong with impunity, because very often the only people who are qualified to dispute the nonsense that critics write are the people being written about. — San Francisco Chronicle, "Is the underlying message of “Chappaquiddick” pro-Trump?," 18 Apr. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The judges, known as ALJs, conduct courtlike proceedings on disputes between federal agencies and clients, such as Social Security recipients who think they are entitled to greater benefits. — Joe Davidson, Washington Post, "Trump order risks ‘politicization’ of administrative judiciary," 13 July 2018 Video captures a dispute between a River Crossing tenant, a property manager and an off-duty IMPD officer. — Vic Ryckaert, Indianapolis Star, "IMPD investigating officer involved in alleged profiling incident at swimming pool," 13 July 2018 The Milton home was at the center of a recent dispute between McCoy and Cordon, who were estranged. — Chelsea Prince, ajc, "2 women injured in invasion at NFL player’s metro Atlanta home," 11 July 2018 The price of lumber settling in September is up 66% since Trump’s election, thanks to wildfires and trade disputes between the U.S. and Canada tightening supply. — Polina Marinova, Fortune, "Term Sheet -- Tuesday, July 10," 10 July 2018 Tesla, which currently assembles all its vehicles at a plant in Fremont, California, raised prices on cars in China after the trade dispute between President Donald Trump and China prompted the tariff hike from 25 percent to 40 percent. — Nathan Bomey, USA TODAY, "Tesla nears plans for China factory as tariffs bring urgency," 10 July 2018 The agreement resolves a longstanding dispute between a citizens group and the developer Solstice Partners LLC. — Tim Prudente, baltimoresun.com, "Developer strikes agreement to scale back Eastport project," 7 July 2018 The area is home to Machias Seal Island and represents one of the last remaining border disputes between the U.S. and Canada, thanks to competing stipulations laid out by treaties and land grants. — Jamie Ducharme, Time, "Canadian Fisherman Say U.S. Border Patrol Is ‘Harassing’ Their Boats in Disputed Waters Off Maine," 5 July 2018 The shooting, in the 9400 block of Coventry Square, apparently arose from a dispute between the groups of women, HPD tweeted. — Samantha Ketterer, Houston Chronicle, "Woman shot at Alief apartment complex," 5 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dispute.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for dispute
dispute
verb
English Language Learners Definition of dispute
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to say or show that (something) may not be true, correct, or legal
: to argue about (something)
: to fight in order to take control of (something)
dispute
noun
English Language Learners Definition of dispute (Entry 2 of 2)
: a disagreement or argument
See the full definition for dispute in the English Language Learners Dictionary
dispute
verb
\
Kids Definition of dispute
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : to question or deny the truth or rightness of No one ever disputed the story.
2 : argue sense 1 The boys disputed over who won the race.
3 : to fight over The two nations disputed the territory.
dispute
nounKids Definition of dispute (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : debate entry 1 sense 3 It is a fact beyond dispute.
dispute
verb
\
Legal Definition of dispute
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to engage in a dispute disputing with management over contract terms
: to engage in a dispute over disputing the correct application of the contract provision especially : to oppose by argument or assertion disputed changes to the grievance procedure
Other Words from dispute
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adjective
dispute
nounLegal Definition of dispute (Entry 2 of 2)
: an assertion of opposing views or claims : a disagreement as to rights especially : one that is the subject of proceedings for resolution (as arbitration)
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