dispute

1 of 2

verb

dis·pute di-ˈspyüt

disputed; disputing

Synonyms of dispute next

intransitive verb

: to engage in argument : debate

especially : to argue irritably or with irritating persistence

transitive verb

: to make the subject of verbal controversy or disputation

Legislators hotly disputed the bill.

: to call into question or cast doubt upon

Her honesty was never disputed.

The witness disputed the defendant's claim.

: to struggle against : oppose

disputed the advance of the invaders

: to contend over

disputing ownership of the land

disputable

di-ˈspyü-tə-bəl

ˈdi-spyə-

adjective

disputably

di-ˈspyü-tə-blē

ˈdi-spyə-

adverb

disputer noun

dispute

2 of 2

noun

dis·pute di-ˈspyüt

ˈdi-ˌspyüt

: verbal controversy : debate

a dispute about what to do with the surplus

a landlord-tenant dispute

legal disputes

The matter is still in dispute.

: quarrel

Police were called to a domestic dispute.

obsolete : physical combat

Example Sentences

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 territory Noun They could not settle their dispute. There is a labor dispute between workers and management. The two farmers are involved in a land dispute. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

On his Facebook page, Spainhouer disputed the statement by police. —

ABC News, 15 May 2023 After Logan was on antibiotics for months, the Mayo Clinic disputed her diagnosis. —

Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 May 2023 All About Erica Herman Woods, through his attorney, has disputed the claims. —

Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 9 May 2023 Bittrex disputed the allegations in a statement at the time. —

Jeremy Hill, Fortune, 8 May 2023 The stone thus traveled from Palestine through Egypt, Sicily, Spain, and Ireland, where, at last, Celtic Scots took the coveted rock slab to the village of Scone. Archaeologists, however, dispute this story. —

Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 5 May 2023 Gun store owners and firearms instructors disputed the firepower and uses of weapons the bill covered. —

Karin Brulliard, Washington Post, 5 May 2023 Tuberville, however, has repeatedly disputed the suggestion that military readiness is jeopardized through his holds. —

Paul Gattis | Pgattis@al.com, al, 4 May 2023 A number of solar advocates have disputed the cost shift argument or said its effects have been overstated. —

Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2023

Noun

D’Andre Blais fled the school after getting into a dispute with the staff. —

Amanda Milkovits, BostonGlobe.com, 17 May 2023 Both sides in the Illinois dispute claim to have history on their side. —

John Fritze, USA TODAY, 17 May 2023 Before the election, there had been disputes within the opposition over whether Kilicdaroglu was the best candidate to face Turkey’s dominating leader, given that others within Kilicdaroglu’s party were more popular or charismatic. —

Kareem Fahim, Washington Post, 17 May 2023 The deal resolves a dispute Priscilla Presley raised that challenged the validity of an amendment to the will of Lisa Marie Presley, her late daughter. —

Anousha Sakoui Los Angeles Times (tns), al, 17 May 2023 The dispute sprawled over several years and led to funding cuts, an industry boycott, prosecutions and the injection of temporary management. —

Patrick Frater, Variety, 17 May 2023 The decision puts an end to a dispute over the fate of the restaurant and potential legal action against the city. —

Mario Cortez, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 May 2023 There’s wide agreement that using the 14th Amendment to end the debt dispute entails legal risk. —

Politifact Staff Writer, Dallas News, 16 May 2023 The current era of divided government in Kentucky has led to a series of policy disputes between Beshear and Republican lawmakers, who overrode multiple Beshear vetoes to put their stamp on state policies. —

CBS News, 16 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dispute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.