DISPUTE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does dispute mean? 

• DISPUTE (noun)
  The noun DISPUTE has 2 senses:

1. a disagreement or argument about something important

2. coming into conflict with

  Familiarity information: DISPUTE used as a noun is rare.

• DISPUTE (verb)
  The verb DISPUTE has 2 senses:

1. take exception to

2. have a disagreement over something

  Familiarity information: DISPUTE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DISPUTE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A disagreement or argument about something important

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

conflict; difference; difference of opinion; dispute

Context example:

the familiar conflict between Republicans and Democrats

Hypernyms ("dispute" is a kind of...):

disagreement (the speech act of disagreeing or arguing or disputing)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "dispute"):

collision (a conflict of opposed ideas or attitudes or goals)

arguing; argument; contention; contestation; controversy; disceptation; disputation; tilt (a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement)

gap (a difference (especially an unfortunate difference) between two opinions or two views or two situations)

dustup; quarrel; row; run-in; words; wrangle (an angry dispute)

Derivation:

disputatious (inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in law suits)

dispute (have a disagreement over something)

dispute (take exception to)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Coming into conflict with

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

contravention; dispute

Hypernyms ("dispute" is a kind of...):

resistance (group action in opposition to those in power)

Derivation:

disputatious (inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in law suits)

dispute (have a disagreement over something)

• DISPUTE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they dispute    ... he / she / it disputes   
Past simple: disputed   
Past participle: disputed   
-ing form: disputing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Take exception to

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

challenge; dispute; gainsay

Context example:

She challenged his claims

Hypernyms (to "dispute" is one way to...):

contend; contest; repugn (to make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation)

"Dispute" entails doing...:

call into question; oppugn; question (challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "dispute"):

call (challenge the sincerity or truthfulness of)

call (challenge (somebody) to make good on a statement; charge with or censure for an offense)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

disputation (a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement)

dispute (a disagreement or argument about something important)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Have a disagreement over something

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

altercate; argufy; dispute; quarrel; scrap

Context example:

These two fellows are always scrapping over something

Hypernyms (to "dispute" is one way to...):

argue; contend; debate; fence (have an argument about something)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "dispute"):

brawl; wrangle (to quarrel noisily, angrily or disruptively)

spat (engage in a brief and petty quarrel)

polemicise; polemicize; polemise; polemize (engage in a controversy)

fall out (have a breach in relations)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

disputant (a person who disputes; who is good at or enjoys controversy)

disputation (a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement)

disputation (the formal presentation of a stated proposition and the opposition to it (usually followed by a vote))

disputative (inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in law suits)

dispute (coming into conflict with)

dispute (a disagreement or argument about something important)

 Context examples 

“I believe,” said Mr. Murdstone, with an inclination of his head, “that Clara would have disputed nothing which myself and my sister Jane Murdstone were agreed was for the best.”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

On the other hand, you may be in court over a dispute with a company or individual.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

We had hoped that we should find upon our return that no one was so dense as to dispute our joint conclusions.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Naturally enough she ran down to tell the cook, and the two women with the coachman came up into the hall and listened to the dispute which was still raging.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But they did not dispute her.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Arguments are too much like disputes.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

They disputed about it for a time, but as they were weary they let the matter rest, and their eyes closed once more.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

But I was willing to shew you that I had not forgot our old disputes.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

But, comrade, it is in my mind that there is some small matter of dispute still open between us.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Other researchers dispute the notion of a present-day reversal, which would likely affect our heavily electronic world in unusual ways.

(Earth's last magnetic field reversal took far longer than once thought, National Science Foundation)