B2 noun
debate
/dɪˈbeɪt/
- Meaning
- a formal discussion where people argue different sides of a topic
- Example
- "There's a public debate about school uniforms."
- Similar & related words
- discussionargumentdisputedebate (verb)debatable
- How to use it
- As a noun, "debate" usually appears with an article (a/an/the) or a possessive. Try counting how many times you can use it in one sentence about your own life, then write one sentence about yesterday.
- Common mistake
- 'Debate about/on something'. As a verb it's usually transitive: 'debate the issue', not 'debate about the issue' (though spoken English varies).