Disputation

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Disputation \Dis`pu*ta"tion\, n. [OE. desputeson, disputacion,
     OF. desputeison, F. disputation, fr. L. disputatio. See
     {Dispute}, v. i.]
     1. The act of disputing; a reasoning or argumentation in
        opposition to something, or on opposite sides; controversy
        in words; verbal contest respecting the truth of some


        fact, opinion, proposition, or argument.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A rhetorical exercise in which parties reason in
        opposition to each other on some question proposed.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  disputation
       n 1: the formal presentation of and opposition to a stated
            proposition (usually followed by a vote) [syn: {debate},
             {public debate}]
       2: a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong
          disagreement; "they were involved in a violent argument"
          [syn: {controversy}, {contention}, {contestation}, {disceptation},
           {tilt}, {argument}, {arguing}]