Debate
Debate noun - An exchange of views for the purpose of exploring a subject or deciding an issue.
Usage example: there was no debate over the expenditures before the vote
Discourse is a synonym for debate in discussion topic. In some cases you can use "Discourse" instead the word "Debate" as a noun or a verb, when it comes to topics like conversation.
Discourse
Discourse noun - Talking or a talk between two or more people.
Usage example: Thomas Jefferson is said to have been able to participate in knowledgeable discourse on a breathtaking array of subjects
Debate is a synonym for discourse in discussion topic. You can use "Debate" instead the word "Discourse" as a noun or a verb, if it concerns topics such as talk, conversation, converse, discuss.
Nearby Words: discoursed, discoursing
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
How words are described
| long | long debate | long discourse |
| normal | normal debate | normal discourse |
| common | common debate | common discourse |
| public | public debate | public discourse |
| Other adjectives: current, ethical, intelligent, actual, intellectual, real, extensive, huge, civil, religious, political, academic, scientific, scholarly, lengthy, philosophical, theological. | ||
Cite this Source
Discourse and Debate. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/debate/discourse
Debate & Discourse. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/debate/discourse>.
Discourse or Debate. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/debate/discourse.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "debate" and "discourse" have occurred on timeline