Meaning of "debate" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD DEBATE

From Old French debatre to discuss, argue, from Latin battuere.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF DEBATE

debate  [dɪˈbeɪt]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF DEBATE

Debate is a verb and can also act as a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb debate in English.

WHAT DOES DEBATE MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Debate

Debate is contention in argument; dispute, controversy; discussion; especially the discussion of questions of public interest in Parliament or in any assembly. Debate is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than deductive reasoning, which only examines whether a conclusion is a consequence of premises, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case, or rhetoric, which is a technique of persuasion. Though logical consistency, factual accuracy and some degree of emotional appeal to the audience are important elements of the art of persuasion, in debating, one side often prevails over the other side by presenting a superior "context" and/or framework of the issue, which is far more subtle and strategic. The outcome of a debate depends upon consensus or some formal way of reaching a resolution, rather than the objective facts as such. In a formal debating contest, there are rules for participants to discuss and decide on differences, within a framework defining how they will interact.

Definition of debate in the English dictionary

The first definition of debate in the dictionary is a formal discussion, as in a legislative body, in which opposing arguments are put forward. Other definition of debate is discussion or dispute. Debate is also the formal presentation and opposition of a specific motion, followed by a vote.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO DEBATE

PRESENT

Present

I debate

you debate

he/she/it debates

we debate

you debate

they debate

Present continuous

I am debating

you are debating

he/she/it is debating

we are debating

you are debating

they are debating

Present perfect

I have debated

you have debated

he/she/it has debated

we have debated

you have debated

they have debated

Present perfect continuous

I have been debating

you have been debating

he/she/it has been debating

we have been debating

you have been debating

they have been debating

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I debated

you debated

he/she/it debated

we debated

you debated

they debated

Past continuous

I was debating

you were debating

he/she/it was debating

we were debating

you were debating

they were debating

Past perfect

I had debated

you had debated

he/she/it had debated

we had debated

you had debated

they had debated

Past perfect continuous

I had been debating

you had been debating

he/she/it had been debating

we had been debating

you had been debating

they had been debating

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will debate

you will debate

he/she/it will debate

we will debate

you will debate

they will debate

Future continuous

I will be debating

you will be debating

he/she/it will be debating

we will be debating

you will be debating

they will be debating

Future perfect

I will have debated

you will have debated

he/she/it will have debated

we will have debated

you will have debated

they will have debated

Future perfect continuous

I will have been debating

you will have been debating

he/she/it will have been debating

we will have been debating

you will have been debating

they will have been debating

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would debate

you would debate

he/she/it would debate

we would debate

you would debate

they would debate

Conditional continuous

I would be debating

you would be debating

he/she/it would be debating

we would be debating

you would be debating

they would be debating

Conditional perfect

I would have debate

you would have debate

he/she/it would have debate

we would have debate

you would have debate

they would have debate

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been debating

you would have been debating

he/she/it would have been debating

we would have been debating

you would have been debating

they would have been debating

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you debate
we let´s debate
you debate

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to debate

Past participle

debated

Present Participle

debating

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «DEBATE»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «debate» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of debate

altercation · analysis · argument · cogitate · cogitation · consider · consideration · contemplate · contend · contention · contest · controversy · controvert · conversation · deliberate · deliberation · dialogue · discuss · discussion · disputation · dispute · examine · meditation · polemic · ponder · question · reflect · reflection · revolve · ruminate · talk · talk about · thrash out · weigh · wrangle

TRANSLATION OF DEBATE

Find out the translation of debate to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of debate from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «debate» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 辩论
• Translator English - Spanish: debate
• English: debate
• Translator English - Hindi: बहस
• Translator English - Arabic: مُناقَشَة
• Translator English - Russian: спор
• Translator English - Portuguese: debate
• Translator English - Bengali: বিতর্ক
• Translator English - French: débat
• Translator English - Malay: Perbahasan
• Translator English - German: Debatte
• Translator English - Japanese: 討論
• Translator English - Korean: 논쟁
• Translator English - Javanese: Debat
• Translator English - Vietnamese: cuộc tranh luận
• Translator English - Tamil: விவாதம்
• Translator English - Marathi: वादविवाद
• Translator English - Turkish: tartışma
• Translator English - Italian: dibattito
• Translator English - Polish: debata
• Translator English - Ukrainian: дискусія
• Translator English - Romanian: dezbatere
• Translator English - Greek: συζήτηση
• Translator English - Afrikaans: debat
• Translator English - Swedish: debatt
• Translator English - Norwegian: debatt

10 QUOTES WITH «DEBATE»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word debate.

1

Eric Alterman

This trend of reporting process over substance is unfortunate, if omnipresent. Even worse is the media's inability - or unwillingness - to fact-check Republicans who are angry about the Democrats trying to debate and vote on Iraq policy.

2

John Avlon

We need to punch back against the extremes of both the left and the right and define the terms of the debate ourselves.

3

Bob Barr

Unfortunately, most gun control advocates are not really interested in rational debate, and their political games simply send Alice chasing white rabbits down holes.

4

Michael Bennet

Often times, political games prevent senators from even beginning to debate some of the most important issues.

5

Cory Booker

There is too much disagreement for disagreement's sake. In a time of persistent challenges that still call into question our most sacred aspirations as a country, we cannot afford shallow callous divisiveness in our public debate.

6

Phil Bredesen

Let's leave behind the predictable and stale debate between liberals and conservatives. Let's take the resources that we have, and prioritize, and manage, and focus our energy on just doing things that count - on real results.

7

Susan Cain

Shyness is inherently uncomfortable; introversion is not. The traits do overlap, though psychologists debate to what degree.

8

Jasper Carrott

The whole debate on what food is best for us is complex, ongoing and often controlled by vested interests.

9

Robert Casey

I come to urge my party to be open to debate and discussion; to move away from a lock-step litmus test which advocates abortion on demand in an effort to reach a broader national consensus.

10

Henry Cavill

I will say I was a lot bigger as Superman. A lot bigger. I'm not saying how much. It's modesty about the weight - I've always been worried about my weight - but I also don't want to invite that debate: 'Henry weighs this, so he's the perfect Superman.' Or, 'Henry doesn't weigh this, and therefore he's not believable in the role.'

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «DEBATE»

Discover the use of debate in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to debate and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Extraterrestrial Life Debate, 1750-1900

Detailed, scholarly study examines the ideas that developed between 1750 and 1900 regarding the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life, including those of Kant, Herschel, Voltaire, Lowell, many others. 16 illustrations.

Michael J. Crowe, 1999

The Recognition of States: Law and Practice in Debate and ...

Thomas D. Grant shows how an old doctrinal debate over recognition has faded, but how and why writers continue to use the terms of that debate.

Thomas D. Grant, 1999

Judicial Independence: The Contemporary Debate

This study discusses the many different aspects of judicial independence in Israel.

Shimon Shetreet, Jules Deschênes, 1985

Argumentation and Debate

This edition retains its rhetorical roots with a flexible tone open to a diverse array of debate styles that is appropriate in the contemporary context.

Austin Freeley, David Steinberg, 2013

The Abortion Debate: Understanding the Issues

"Examines the debate over abortion, discussing both the pro-life and pro-choice sides of the argument, the history and laws on abortion in the United States, and finding a middle ground on the issue"--Provided by publisher.

Johannah Haney, 2008

Fundamentals of the Stem Cell Debate: The Scientific, ...

This book encompasses the complexities without sacrificing the other main virtue of the collection: to definitively illuminate the debate for all.

Kristen R. Monroe, Ronald Baker Miller, Jerome S. Tobis, 2008

The Brenner Debate: Agrarian Class Structure and Economic ...

Completing the volume, and giving it an overall coherence, are Brenner's own comprehensive response to those who had taken part in the debate, and also R. H. Hilton's introduction that aims to bring together the major themes in the ...

T. H. Aston, Trevor Henry Aston, C. H. E. Philpin, 1987

The Migration Debate

A well balanced, critical analysis of UK migration policies, in a European context, from entry controls through to integration and citizenship of interest to academics and policy makers alike.

Sarah Spencer, 2011

The Animal Rights Debate: Abolition Or Regulation?

This is a subject of extremely heated debate in animal studies and society at large, and Gary L. Francione and Robert Garner address it as no others can."ùGary Steiner, Bucknell University Gary L. Francione is a law professor and leading ...

Gary Lawrence Francione, Robert Garner, 2010

Animal Testing: The Animal Rights Debate

Discusses the pros and cons of testing products intended for human use on animals, as well as the legal and ethical issues involved.

Chris Hayhurst, 2000

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «DEBATE»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term debate is used in the context of the following news items.

South Carolina chaplain prays for 'cool heads' before Confederate …

Shortly after 10 a.m. local time, when debate was scheduled to begin, the House chamber was nearly empty. The vast majority of Democrats ... «Los Angeles Times, Jul 15»

A federal agent's gun was used in San Francisco 'sanctuary city …

The case of a killing on San Francisco's Pier 14 last week has turned into a national debate about the merit's of the city's sanctuary city policy. «Washington Post, Jul 15»

Lindsey Graham Protests 'Brad Pitt' Debate

Republican presidential candidate Lindsey Graham is launching a protest of the "Brad Pitt" debate. In an e-mail Tuesday, the South Carolina ... «Bloomberg, Jul 15»

'Nothing to debate': Second Amendment, legal gun in my purse …

There's nothing to debate. Throw out all the numbers and expert opinions. I've got your expert right here, and it's called EXPERIENCE. «Fox News, Jul 15»

Greek crisis revives Polish debate over joining the euro

FILE - In this July 1, 2015 file photo, conservative opposition Law and Justice party candidate for prime minister in general elections later in ... «U.S. News & World Report, Jul 15»

Commissioners debate Confederate memorials in Meck Co.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners sounded off on the controversy surrounding several monuments dedicated ... «WCNC, Jul 15»

Serena Williams Comments on Wimbledon Sexism Debate over …

Serena Williams offered her thoughts on the sexism debate surrounding the disproportionate scheduling of men's and women's matches on ... «Bleacher Report, Jul 15»

Cosby case sparks debate about consent

This has prompted a national and local debate about rape. At the core of that debate is the term "consent." Consent is key in sexual assault and rape. «WJXT Jacksonville, Jul 15»

City to debate Confederate memorial's fate

The Confederate Memorial Fountain in Hill Park was constructed by the Daughters of the Confederacy in 1916. City leaders are considering ... «Helena Independent Record, Jul 15»

As House begins flag debate, SLED investigates death threats

Before starting their debate on removing the Confederate battle flag from the Statehouse grounds, members of the South Carolina House of ... «Anderson Independent Mail, Jul 15»