2debate verb
debates; debat·ed; debat·ing 1 [+ obj] : to discuss (something) with people whose opinions are different from your own
▪ Scholars have been debating the meaning of the text for years. ▪ Whether or not the tax cuts benefit the lower classes is still hotly debated among economists. ▪ The energy bill is currently being debated in Congress. 2 : to compete against (someone) in a debate : to argue against another person's opinions as part of an organized event [+ obj] ▪ The President debated his challenger in front of a live audience on Tuesday. [no obj] ▪ The students debated for an hour. ▪ She was on the debating team [=a group that competes against other teams in formal debates] at school. 3 [+ obj] : to think about (something) in order to decide what to do
▪ I debated [=considered] moving to the city, but eventually decided against it. — often + whether, what, etc. ▪ I am still debating (with myself) whether to attend the wedding or not. ▪ She is still debating what to do.
▪ Scholars have been debating the meaning of the text for years. ▪ Whether or not the tax cuts benefit the lower classes is still hotly debated among economists. ▪ The energy bill is currently being debated in Congress.
▪ I debated [=considered] moving to the city, but eventually decided against it. — often + whether, what, etc. ▪ I am still debating (with myself) whether to attend the wedding or not. ▪ She is still debating what to do.
— de·bat·er noun, plural de·bat·ers [count]
▪ He is one of the best debaters in on our school's team.
▪ He is one of the best debaters in on our school's team.
