Synonyms for debate
dɪˈbeɪtde·bate

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. debate

   An individual considers, meditates, ponders, reflects, by himself; he weighs a matter in his own mind, and is sometimes said even to debate with himself. Consult and confer always imply two or more persons, as does debate, unless expressly limited as above. Confer suggests the interchange of counsel, advice, or information; consult indicates almost exclusively the receiving of it. A man confers with his associates about a new investment; he consults his physician about his health; he may confer with him on matters of general interest. He consults a dictionary, but does not confer with it. Deliberate, which can be applied to a single individual, is also the word for a great number, while consult is ordinarily limited to a few; a committee consults; an assembly deliberates. Deliberating always carries the idea of slowness; consulting is compatible with haste; we can speak of a hasty consultation, not of a hasty deliberation. Debate implies opposing views; deliberate, simply a gathering and balancing of all facts and reasons. We consider or deliberate with a view to action, while meditation may be quite purposeless.

   Synonyms:
   confer, consider, consult, deliberate, meditate, ponder, reflect, weigh

   Preposition:
   We deliberate on or upon, also about or concerning a matter: the first two are preferable.

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.0 / 4 votes

1. debate

   Synonyms:
   contend, dispute, argue, moot, controvert, contest, wrangle, discuss, deliberate, question, ventilate

   Antonyms:
   yield, concede, surrender, admit, allow

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:2.9 / 10 votes

1. argument, argumentation, debatenoun

   a discussion in which reasons are advanced for and against some proposition or proposal

   "the argument over foreign aid goes on and on"

   Synonyms:
   disceptation, logical argument, argumentation, contention, argument, tilt, controversy, disputation, line, contestation, arguing, statement, literary argument, line of reasoning, public debate, parameter

2. debate, disputation, public debateverb

   the formal presentation of a stated proposition and the opposition to it (usually followed by a vote)

   Synonyms:
   contestation, controversy, public debate, disceptation, disputation, tilt, contention, argument, arguing, argumentation

3. debateverb

   argue with one another

   "We debated the question of abortion"; "John debated Mary"

   Synonyms:
   deliberate, consider, moot, fence, argue, contend, turn over

4. consider, debate, moot, turn over, deliberateverb

   think about carefully; weigh

   "They considered the possibility of a strike"; "Turn the proposal over in your mind"

   Synonyms:
   turn, reckon, dig, flip, pass on, weigh, view, fence, reach, take, roll, study, see, deal, tump over, moot, think, contend, conceive, give, deliberate, overturn, bowl over, delve, pass, tip over, count, upset, believe, flip over, turn over, regard, argue, consider, knock over, look at, hand, cut into

5. debate, deliberateverb

   discuss the pros and cons of an issue

   Synonyms:
   consider, fence, moot, argue, turn over, deliberate, contend

6. argue, contend, debate, fenceverb

   have an argument about something

   Synonyms:
   fence, fight, palisade, make do, indicate, consider, turn over, vie, deliberate, deal, postulate, manage, compete, struggle, argue, wall, repugn, grapple, reason, surround, contend, cope, make out, moot, fence in, get by, contest

Matched Categories

1. • Deliberate
   • Discuss
   • Discussion

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. debatenoun

   Synonyms:
   disputation, controversy

2. debatenoun

   Synonyms:
   altercation, contest, contention, dispute, logomachy, strife of words, war of words

3. debateverb

   Synonyms:
   discuss, argue, dispute, contest, canvass

4. debateverb

   Synonyms:
   argue, dispute, deliberate, hold an argument

5. debateverb

   Synonyms:
   (Rare.) fight, contend, struggle

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:3.0 / 1 vote

1. debatenoun

   Synonyms:
   discussion, argument, moot, dispute, controversy, disputation, forensic

2. debateverb

   Synonyms:
   argue, discuss, moot, contend, controvert

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "debate":

   discussion, segment, discuss, debates, discussions, debated, debating, vita, controversy, débat, dialogue, discourse, life, discussed, argument

How to pronounce debate?

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use debate in a sentence?

1. President Barack Obama:

   That's an area where there's just not enough national consensus at this stage to even consider it. And part of it is is people's concern that that becomes a prelude to taking people's guns away, part of the challenge of this is that the gun debate gets wrapped up in broader debates about whether the federal government is oppressive and there are conspiracy theories floating around the Internet these days all the time.

2. Sally Yates:

   And again, as I said, we can debate policies and we should, but it has to be based on a common set of facts, and the lack of any of even being loosely tethered to truth for some, I think is a really dangerous thing for our country.

3. Transportation Minister Mauricio Quintella:

   We will insist on 100 percent ... We have to think now about reopening the debate in the Senate.

4. Michael Hugman:

   Investors are definitely becoming bolder at wanting to now pivot the debate on post-COVID rebuilding towards broader sustainability and resilience.

5. John McCain:

   I voted for the motion to proceed to allow debate to continue and amendments to be offered. I will not vote for the bill as it is today. It's a shell of a bill right now. We all know that.