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Debate   /dəbˈeɪt/   Listen
noun
Debate  n.  
1.
A fight or fighting; contest; strife. (Archaic) "On the day of the Trinity next ensuing was a great debate... and in that murder there were slain... fourscore." "But question fierce and proud reply Gave signal soon of dire debate."
2.
Contention in words or arguments; discussion for the purpose of elucidating truth or influencing action; strife in argument; controversy; as, the debates in Parliament or in Congress. "Heard, noted, answer'd, as in full debate."
3.
Subject of discussion. (R.) "Statutes and edicts concerning this debate."


verb
Debate  v. t.  (past & past part. debated; pres. part. debating)  
1.
To engage in combat for; to strive for. "Volunteers... thronged to serve under his banner, and the cause of religion was debated with the same ardor in Spain as on the plains of Palestine."
2.
To contend for in words or arguments; to strive to maintain by reasoning; to dispute; to contest; to discuss; to argue for and against. "A wise council... that did debate this business." "Debate thy cause with thy neighbor himself."
Synonyms: To argue; discuss; dispute; controvert. See Argue, and Discuss.


Debate  v. i.  
1.
To engage in strife or combat; to fight. (Obs.) "Well could he tourney and in lists debate."
2.
To contend in words; to dispute; hence, to deliberate; to consider; to discuss or examine different arguments in the mind; often followed by on or upon. "He presents that great soul debating upon the subject of life and death with his intimate friends."





Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48


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"Debate" Quotes from Famous Books



... daughter of debate, That discord aye doth sow, Hath reap'd no gain where former rule Hath ...
— Westward Ho! • Charles Kingsley
... appeal to the proper period of child life to see the union taking place. The range of growth is so enormous from the infant to the adult, and the beginnings of the child's mental life are so low in the scale, in the matter of mental endowment, that there is hardly a question of analysis now under debate in psychology which may not be tested by ...
— The Story of the Mind • James Mark Baldwin
... secrets so dearly bought and faithfully preserved. He therefore knew of the king's interview with Colbert, and of the appointment made for the ambassadors in the morning, and consequently he knew that the question of the medals would be brought under debate; and, while he was arranging and constructing the conversation upon a few chance words which had reached his ears, he returned to his post in the royal apartments, so as to be there at the very moment the ...
— The Vicomte de Bragelonne - Or Ten Years Later being the completion of "The Three - Musketeers" And "Twenty Years After" • Alexandre Dumas
... tenets, and hearing in return these notions and opinions subjected to criticism. I have thus far found them liberal and loving men, patient in hearing, tolerant in reply, who know how to reconcile the duties of courtesy with the earnestness of debate. From one of these, nearly a year ago, I received a note, recommending strongly to my attention the volume of 'Bampton Lectures' for 1865, in which the question of miracles is treated by Mr. Mozley. Previous to ...
— Fragments of science, V. 1-2 • John Tyndall
... held, to debate whether it was advisable to renew the attack or to raise the siege and retreat. The cannonade had now continued for eight days, and nothing had been gained. Some of the officers were for withdrawing, but the majority were in favour of making ...
— The Huguenots in France • Samuel Smiles


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