The difference between Debate and Discourse

When used as nouns, debate means an argument, or discussion, usually in an ordered or formal setting, often with more than two people, generally ending with a vote or other decision, whereas discourse means verbal exchange, conversation.

When used as verbs, debate means to participate in a debate, whereas discourse means to engage in discussion or conversation.

check bellow for the other definitions of Debate and Discourse

  1. Debate as a noun:

    An argument, or discussion, usually in an ordered or formal setting, often with more than two people, generally ending with a vote or other decision.

    Examples:

    "After a four-hour debate, the committee voted to table the motion."

  2. Debate as a noun:

    An informal and spirited but generally civil discussion of opposing views.

    Examples:

    "The debate over the age of the universe is thousands of years old."

    "There was a bit of a debate over who should pay for the damaged fence."

  3. Debate as a noun (uncountable):

    Discussion of opposing views.

    Examples:

    "There has been considerable debate concerning exactly how to format these articles."

  4. Debate as a noun (frequently in the French form ''débat''):

    A type of literary composition, taking the form of a discussion or disputation, commonly found in the vernacular medieval poetry of many European countries, as well as in medieval Latin.

  5. Debate as a noun (obsolete):

    Strife, discord.

  1. Debate as a verb (ambitransitive):

    To participate in a debate; to dispute, argue, especially in a public arena.

  2. Debate as a verb (obsolete, intransitive):

    To fight.

  3. Debate as a verb (obsolete, transitive):

    To engage in combat for; to strive for.

  4. Debate as a verb (transitive):

    To consider (to oneself), to think over, to attempt to decide

  1. Discourse as a noun (uncountable, archaic):

    Verbal exchange, conversation.

  2. Discourse as a noun (uncountable):

    Expression in words, either speech or writing.

  3. Discourse as a noun (countable):

    A formal lengthy exposition of some subject, either spoken or written.

    Examples:

    "The preacher gave us a long discourse on duty."

  4. Discourse as a noun (countable):

    Any rational expression, reason.

  5. Discourse as a noun (social sciences, countable):

    An institutionalized way of thinking, a social boundary defining what can be said about a specific topic (after Michel Foucault).

  6. Discourse as a noun (obsolete):

    Dealing; transaction.

  1. Discourse as a verb (intransitive):

    To engage in discussion or conversation; to converse.

  2. Discourse as a verb (intransitive):

    To write or speak formally and at length.

  3. Discourse as a verb (obsolete, transitive):

    To debate.

  4. Discourse as a verb:

    To exercise reason; to employ the mind in judging and inferring; to reason.

    Examples:

    "rfquotek Dryden"

  5. Discourse as a verb (obsolete, transitive):

    To produce or emit (musical sounds).

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