{
    "term": "debate",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "academic": true,
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "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.",
            "sensetop": "debate on somethingunder debate",
            "labels": "(especially North American English)",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "the first ever televised presidential debate"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The minister opened the debate *(= was the first to speak)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "After a long debate, Congress approved the proposal."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a debate on transport policy",
                    "contextForm": "debate on something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The motion under debate *(= being discussed)* was put to a vote.",
                    "contextForm": "under debate"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a debate on prison reform"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The president will open the debate."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The environmentalists seem to have lost the debate over the building of this road."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The poll showed that the Democrat won last night's presidential debate."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Many of these points were raised during the debate on prison reform."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The debate focused on who should pay for the changes."
                },
                {
                    "text": "legislative debates over gay marriage"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a parliamentary debate on the fishing industry"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Experts pore over the President's debate performances."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The union holds debates for students."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The motion under debate was put to a vote."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Three major issues have dominated the education debate."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Politics"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["brief", "lengthy", "long"],
                "verb + debate": ["have", "hold", "host"],
                "debate + noun": ["moderator", "coach", "team"],
                "preposition": [
                    "during a/​the debate",
                    "in a/​the debate",
                    "debate about"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "an argument or a discussion expressing different opinions",
            "sensetop": "debate about somethingdebate on somethingdebate over somethingunder debate",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The issue has **sparked debate** across the industry."
                },
                {
                    "text": "to provoke/stimulate debate"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a fierce/vigorous debate"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The theatre's future is a subject of lively public debate."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Intense political debate focused on the merits of the two alternative schemes."
                },
                {
                    "text": "There has been **heated debate** about whether the film should be allowed.",
                    "contextForm": "debate about something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "There has been much debate on the issue of childcare.",
                    "contextForm": "debate on something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the ongoing debate over American foreign policy",
                    "contextForm": "debate over something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Whether he deserved what happened to him is **open to debate** *(= cannot be certain or decided yet)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The issue is still under debate.",
                    "contextForm": "under debate"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The proposed changes to the law have been the subject of much debate."
                },
                {
                    "text": "the debate surrounding contemporary art"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the growing debate on school reform"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Many leading charities have contributed to the debate on world poverty."
                },
                {
                    "text": "You cannot separate unemployment from the wider debate about the economy."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We had a brief debate about whether or not to accept the offer."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This accident has sparked off an intense debate on road safety."
                },
                {
                    "text": "These events shifted debate from economic issues to social ones."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The nature of this book is to provoke reasoned debate."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The incident has reignited public debate over the role of teachers."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The club started admitting women in 1901 after years of bitter debate."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He was reluctant to enter the debate for or against war."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He accused the government of trying to stifle debate."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Efforts to reduce the budget have led to a lot of internal debate at the studio."
                },
                {
                    "text": "What went on behind the scenes remains a matter for debate ."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Opinion and argument"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["considerable", "growing", "fierce"],
                "verb + debate": ["have", "contribute to", "enter"],
                "debate + verb": ["occur", "take place", "rage"],
                "preposition": ["under debate", "debate about", "debate on"],
                "phrases": ["the subject of debate"]
            }
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/dɪˈbeɪt/",
                "audio": "de/debate/debate__gb_2.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/dɪˈbeɪt/",
                "audio": "de/debate/debate__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: via Old French from Latin dis- (expressing reversal) + battere ‘to fight’."
}