Meaning & use
debate
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A discussion in which people give opposing views on a subject, often in a structured setting before an audience.
Grammar: Countable for a single event (a debate), uncountable for ongoing argument (there is much debate).
Patterns
- a debate about something
- a debate over something
- a debate on something
The two candidates took part in a televised debate.
There has been much debate about the new tax.
Our class held a debate on whether homework should be banned.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To discuss a subject by presenting arguments for and against it, either with others or in your own mind.
Grammar: Takes an object (debate the issue) or stands alone with with (debate with a rival).
Patterns
- debate something
- debate with someone
- debate whether to do something
Lawmakers will debate the proposal next week.
We debated whether to move abroad for months.
The students debated with the visiting speaker.
Word forms
| plural | debates |
|---|---|
| third person singular | debates |
| past tense | debated |
| past participle | debated |
| -ing form | debating |
Common combinations
- a heated debate
- The budget sparked a heated debate in council.
- open to debate
- Whether the plan will work is open to debate.
- hold a debate
- The school will hold a debate on climate policy.
- public debate
- The issue deserves public debate.
- debate the merits of something
- They debated the merits of renting versus buying.
Synonyms and how they differ
- discussion
- A discussion can be friendly and need not have opposing sides, whereas a debate usually pits views against each other.
- argument
- An argument can be an angry quarrel, while a debate is more organized and reasoned.
- dispute
- A dispute is a disagreement that needs settling, often over facts or rights, rather than a structured exchange.
- deliberate
- Deliberate means to think carefully, often alone or in a small group, with less emphasis on opposing sides.
Opposites
Word family
- debater noun
- a person who takes part in debates
- debatable adjective
- open to question or argument
- debatably adverb
- in a way that can be argued
- undebatable adjective
- too clear to argue about
Commonly confused: debate or discussion?
debate vs discussion
Use discussion for a general talk with no winners. Use debate when two sides argue formally for or against a point.
Practice
Whether the city should build a new stadium is still open to ___.
Choose one answer.
Open to debate is a set phrase meaning not yet agreed. The other words sound similar but cannot follow open to in this meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “debate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.