dispute
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A disagreement or argument about something important.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
dihspyootSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
dɪspˈjut
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A disagreement or argument about something important
“He had a dispute with his wife.”
An argument or disagreement, a failure to agree.
uncountable
Verbal controversy or disagreement; altercation; debate.
verb
transitive
To make a subject of disputation; to argue pro and con; to discuss
intransitive
To contend in argument; to argue against something maintained, upheld, or claimed, by another.
To oppose by argument or assertion; to controvert; to express dissent or opposition to; to call in question; to deny the truth or validity of
To strive or contend about; to contest
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A disagreement or argument about something important
Used this way, dispute is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It suits considered writing and prepared speech.
“He had a dispute with his wife.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Serious and weighty
- Usage feel
- Formal and precise
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “dispute with …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: dispute with …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use dispute
- “He had a dispute with his wife.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: disagreement or argument about something important
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.