public debate
- noun
- /ˈpʌblɪk dɪˈbeɪt/
- Formal
- 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.
- 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
A formal discussion where opposing sides argue about a topic
A formal debate where people argue and may vote to decide
A discussion that shows two opposite views
A formal debate with strong disagreement
Antonyms
- Literature
A private meeting where people make important decisions away from the public
How Formal
Surface Forms
Morphology
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.