verb To participate in a debate; to dispute, argue, especially in a public arena. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
"Debate me, coward!" snarled the completely normal intellectual.
verb To fight.
verb To engage in combat for; to strive for.
verb To consider (to oneself), to think over, to attempt to decide
He was debating where he'd spend his holiday.
noun An argument, or discussion, usually in an ordered or formal setting, often with more than two people, generally ending with a vote or other decision.
After a four-hour debate, the committee voted to table the motion.
noun An informal and spirited but generally civil discussion of opposing views.
The debate over the age of the universe is thousands of years old.
noun Discussion of opposing views.
There has been considerable debate concerning exactly how to format these articles.
noun A type of literary composition, taking the form of a discussion or disputation, commonly found in the vernacular medieval poetry of many European countries, as well as in medieval Latin.