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public debate

public debate

1 3.6
A formal event where people argue for or against a proposal and then vote
  • noun
  • /ˈpʌblɪk dɪˈbeɪt/
  • Formal
translation icon : debate público
  • Regardless of the outcome of these ongoing conferences, the cardinal was aware of his role in the inevitable public debate to follow.
  • public debate on the issue

I wish we had smarter debaters and people presenting themselves for public debates than Hotez and RFK Junior.

Examples

  • The Science Debate Project, co-founded by my friend Shawn Otto of Minnesota, has been trying to get candidates for the office of President to engage in a public debate about science.

    Blog text (11)
  • During the public debate, experts from various fields presented arguments for and against the proposed law.

  • The public debate on the birth control law would begin, and the Church readied itself.

    Academic text (2010)
  • We had been discussing the possibility of holding an in-person, public debate just before his arrest.

    Academic text (2010)
  • There was no public debate about whether $16,000,000,000,000 would be given to failing banks and failing corporations around the world.

    Blog text (24)
  • Just in the past weeks, the government tried to pass a bill that would restrict freedom of expression in public debates and the right to unionize, for example.

    Blog text (5)
  • Paul Krugman, noted Keynesian, has been challenged to a public debate by Robert Murphy of the free-market Austrian School of economics.

    Blog text (3)
  • At a public debate in January 1994, SLU biology professors faced David Prentice of the New Orleans-based Origins Resource Association.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Recently, Ni Putes Ni Soumises organized an open, public debate on the anticipated anti-mask law in a suburb of Paris with a diverse population.

    Academic text (2010)
  • There were times when it seemed unlikely that North Dakotans would get to see the state's two main U.S. House candidates square off in a public debate, but there will be at least one debate between Democratic-NPL incumbent Rep. Earl Pomeroy and Republican challenger Rick Berg, the candidates announced Monday.

    Blog text (32)

Synonyms

debate
vspublic debate
  • Formal
2.0

A formal discussion where opposing sides argue about a topic

is a structured public event that ends with a vote to decide an issue
disputation
vspublic debate
  • Formal
2 8.5

A formal debate where people argue and may vote to decide

is a public event presenting a proposition and deciding it by vote
two-sided argument
vspublic debate
3.8

A discussion that shows two opposite views

is organized as a public event that usually concludes with a vote
disceptation
vspublic debate
  • Archaic
9.9

A formal debate with strong disagreement

is a formal event focused on proposing and voting to resolve an issue

Antonyms

660 2.0

A period with no sound or speech

backroom meeting
  • Literature
7.1

A private meeting where people make important decisions away from the public

How Formal

public debate
  • Formal
1 3.6
panel discussion
  • Formal
12 3.7
to chat
  • Informal
269 1.0

Surface Forms

public debate singular

Morphology

public + debate

The meaning of 'public debate' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'public' (open or for everyone) with 'debate' (a discussion with opposing sides): it simply denotes a debate that involves or is accessible to the general public and media. This is a straightforward noun–modifier composition common across languages and predictable for a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

Public debate comes from the image of a town hall where the public watch while two sides debate on stage and the audience or judges then 'vote' to decide the issue. That's why public debate means a formal event where a proposal is argued and a decision is made.