mass debate
- noun
- /mæs dɪˈbeɪt/
:
debate masivo
- A televised mass debate gave voters the chance to hear arguments from all the political candidates.
Examples
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The mass debate on gun control drew hundreds of community members to the town hall.
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Universities often organize a mass debate to encourage students to engage with current affairs.
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The community organized a mass debate on climate change.
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Is there going to be a mass debate this weekend?
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A televised mass debate gave voters the chance to hear arguments from all the political candidates.
-
The mass debate on gun control drew hundreds of community members to the town hall.
-
Universities often organize a mass debate to encourage students to engage with current affairs.
Synonyms
∞
2.0
A formal discussion where opposing sides argue about a topic
465
4.9
A long public disagreement that causes strong arguments between people
12
3.0
A discussion among many people and the media about an issue in newspapers, TV, and online
9
2.8
An open talk where many people share views about things that affect everyone
2
8.5
A formal debate where people argue and may vote to decide
How Large
9
2.8
- Formal
12
3.7
- Literature
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning "a large public discussion" is directly and transparently derived from combining 'mass' (a large accumulation or group) with 'debate' (a discussion). This compositional pattern (e.g., mass protest, mass meeting) is common cross-linguistically and follows straightforward noun-noun modification, so a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Mass debate comes from the idea of a very large crowd talking about an issue, where mass means a big group and debate means a public argument. So it means 'a large public discussion' with many people taking part.