Words / B2

di-SPYOOT/dɪˈspjuːt/

A dispute is a serious, often public disagreement: a pay dispute; dispute over borders. Dispute is also a verb (they dispute the figures). Argument is everyday; conflict is already in the dictionary and can be stronger. In dispute means not agreed. Do not call a mild preference a dispute.

Meaning

A serious disagreement, often lasting and public.

Examples

• “A pay dispute closed the ports for a week.”
• “A pay dispute closed the terminal for a week.”
• “Historians still dispute the size of the crowd, which is the verb.”

Good to know

a pay / legal / industrial dispute; in dispute. Verb: dispute the claim. Everyday: argument. Stronger: conflict.

Near in meaning

argument

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