disputed; disputing
: to engage in argument : debate
especially
: to argue irritably or with irritating persistence
1
a
: 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.
2
a
: to struggle against : oppose
disputed the advance of the invaders
b
: to contend over
disputing ownership of the land
disputer
noun
dis·pute
di-ˈspyüt 
ˈdi-ˌspyüt
ˈdi-ˌspyüt
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 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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Preston Mizell, FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Federal officials said the officer shot in self-defense as Good attempted to hit him with her vehicle, while local officials disputed the account.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The company added programmers’ streaming applications in Spectrum’s expanded basic packages to lower churn and had a slight bump in signups when Disney channels were unavailable for YouTube TV subscribers during a recent carriage dispute.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dispute
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Cadets Michael Ferrara, regimental S3 captain, and Devin Auzenne, regimental commander, sat down for an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital to discuss the core values of VMI, and dispute some of the allegations that have pushed Virginia Democrats to threaten the institution.
—Preston Mizell, FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Federal officials said the officer shot in self-defense as Good attempted to hit him with her vehicle, while local officials disputed the account.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
Medal reallocations have historically surfaced after doping or other cheating cases, but Chiles’ dispute centered on an apparent error by the International Gymnastics Federation, the sport’s governing body.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The company added programmers’ streaming applications in Spectrum’s expanded basic packages to lower churn and had a slight bump in signups when Disney channels were unavailable for YouTube TV subscribers during a recent carriage dispute.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dispute
Cite this Entry
“Dispute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dispute. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dispute
2 of 2 noun1
2
: an angry difference of opinion : quarrel
Legal Definition
dispute
1 of 2 verb
dis·pute
di-ˈspyüt
disputed; disputing
: 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
dispute
2 of 2 noun
: 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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