debate
♦♦ de|bate /dɪb'eɪt/ (debates debating debated)
1 [N-VAR] oft N on/over/about n
A debate is a discussion about a subject on which people have different views.
An intense debate is going on within the Israeli government...
There has been a lot of debate among scholars about this.
= discussion
2 [N-COUNT] oft N on/about n
A debate is a formal discussion, for example in a parliament or institution, in which people express different opinions about a particular subject and then vote on it.
There are expected to be some heated debates in parliament over the next few days.
● debating [N-UNCOUNT] oft N n
...debating skills.
3 [V-RECIP] pl-n V n, pl-n V wh, V n with n
If people debate a topic, they discuss it fairly formally, putting forward different views. You can also say that one person debates a topic with another person.
The United Nations Security Council will debate the issue today...
Scholars have debated whether or not Yagenta became a convert...
He likes to debate issues with his friends.
4 [VERB] V wh, V -ing
If you debate whether to do something or what to do, you think or talk about possible courses of action before deciding exactly what you are going to do.
Taggart debated whether to have yet another double vodka...
I debated going back inside, but decided against it.
5 [PHRASE] v-link PHR
If you say that a matter is open to debate, you mean that people have different opinions about it, or it has not yet been firmly decided.
Which of them has more musical talent is open to debate.
1 [N-VAR] oft N on/over/about n
A debate is a discussion about a subject on which people have different views.
An intense debate is going on within the Israeli government...
There has been a lot of debate among scholars about this.
= discussion
2 [N-COUNT] oft N on/about n
A debate is a formal discussion, for example in a parliament or institution, in which people express different opinions about a particular subject and then vote on it.
There are expected to be some heated debates in parliament over the next few days.
● debating [N-UNCOUNT] oft N n
...debating skills.
3 [V-RECIP] pl-n V n, pl-n V wh, V n with n
If people debate a topic, they discuss it fairly formally, putting forward different views. You can also say that one person debates a topic with another person.
The United Nations Security Council will debate the issue today...
Scholars have debated whether or not Yagenta became a convert...
He likes to debate issues with his friends.
4 [VERB] V wh, V -ing
If you debate whether to do something or what to do, you think or talk about possible courses of action before deciding exactly what you are going to do.
Taggart debated whether to have yet another double vodka...
I debated going back inside, but decided against it.
5 [PHRASE] v-link PHR
If you say that a matter is open to debate, you mean that people have different opinions about it, or it has not yet been firmly decided.
Which of them has more musical talent is open to debate.