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

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use debate in a sentence?

1. Robin Simcox:

   Pathways out of extremism are very rarely instantaneous. It can take years for former extremists to fully disengage from this ideology. Expecting someone who was fighting alongside ISIS one day to be a legitimate ally in the fight against Islamist extremism the day after is an unrealistic expectation, the increasingly popular idea that we should not jail terrorists because that would only make them even more radical shows how utterly backwards this entire debate can become. Yes, prison radicalization does exist. However, the answer is to deal with the conditions that create prison radicalization – an inability to isolate charismatic Islamist recruiters, for example – not stop sending those who broke the law to prison.

2. Roy Blunt:

   I think the majority leader just is of the view that this debate reaches no conclusion and frankly I think the extreme nature of... HR 1 from the House even makes it less likely that we're going to have that debate.

3. Chuck Schumer:

   When this chamber confronts a question this important... you don't slide it off the table and say, ‘nevermind,’ win, lose or draw members of this chamber were elected to debate and to vote... And the public is entitled to know where each senator stands on an issue as sacrosanct as defending our democracy.

4. Terry McAuliffe:

   Here is Joe Biden's thought process : Joe Biden wants to do Presidential Debates. It was a big win for Joe Biden in the first debate and any time Joe Biden can stand on stage with Trump, it is good for Joe Biden, joe Biden is going to go on, and if Trump doesn't want to go... We could not be in a better place on Presidential Debates.

5. Andy Harris:

   Especially at a time of growing discord, to insinuate outright racial animosity by Republican Members of Congress during legitimate debate about the merits and Constitutionality of admitting the District of Columbia as a state is unbecoming of a Representative and violates the rules of the House, mr. Jones thankfully realized his words were inappropriate, and accepted the removal of the words from the record.