Debate Dɪˈbeɪt Issue Presidential Policy Public Noun Televised

• the first ever televised presidential debate
• the minister opened the debate (= was the first to speak).
• after a long debate, congress approved the proposal.
• a debate on transport policy

debate

1. a formal discussion of an issue at a public meeting or in a parliament. In a debate two or more speakers express opposite views and then there is often a vote on the issue.
• the first ever televised presidential debate
• The minister opened the debate (= was the first to speak).
• After a long debate, Congress approved the proposal.
• a debate on transport policy
• The motion under debate (= being discussed) was put to a vote.

Extra Examples

• a debate on prison reform
• The president will open the debate.
• The environmentalists seem to have lost the debate over the building of this road.
• The poll showed that the Democrat won last night's presidential debate.
• Many of these points were raised during the debate on prison reform.
• The debate focused on who should pay for the changes.
• legislative debates over gay marriage
• a parliamentary debate on the fishing industry
• Experts pore over the President's debate performances.
• The union holds debates for students.
• The motion under debate was put to a vote.
• Three major issues have dominated the education debate.
2. an argument or a discussion expressing different opinions
• The issue has sparked debate across the industry.
• to provoke/stimulate debate
• a fierce/vigorous debate
• The theatre's future is a subject of lively public debate.
• Intense political debate focused on the merits of the two alternative schemes.
• There has been heated debate about whether the film should be allowed.
• There has been much debate on the issue of childcare.
• the ongoing debate over American foreign policy
• Whether he deserved what happened to him is open to debate (= cannot be certain or decided yet).
• The issue is still under debate.

Extra Examples

• The proposed changes to the law have been the subject of much debate.
• the debate surrounding contemporary art
• the growing debate on school reform
• Many leading charities have contributed to the debate on world poverty.
• You cannot separate unemployment from the wider debate about the economy.
• We had a brief debate about whether or not to accept the offer.
• This accident has sparked off an intense debate on road safety.
• These events shifted debate from economic issues to social ones.
• The nature of this book is to provoke reasoned debate.
• The incident has reignited public debate over the role of teachers.
• The club started admitting women in 1901 after years of bitter debate.
• He was reluctant to enter the debate for or against war.
• He accused the government of trying to stifle debate.
• Efforts to reduce the budget have led to a lot of internal debate at the studio.
• What went on behind the scenes remains a matter for debate .

Word Origin

• Middle English: via Old French from Latin dis- (expressing reversal) + battere ‘to fight’.