dispute

dispute

I

dis‧pute¹ W2 /dɪˈspjuːt, ˈdɪspjuːt/ noun [uncountable and countable]
1. a serious argument or disagreement
    dispute with
    The firm is involved in a legal dispute with a rival company.
    dispute over
    He got into a dispute over a taxi fare.
    dispute between
    the bitter border dispute between the countries
2. be beyond dispute if something is beyond dispute, everyone agrees that it is true or that it really happened:
    It is beyond dispute that advances in medicine have enabled people to live longer.
3. be open to dispute if something is open to dispute, it is not completely certain and not everyone agrees about it:
    His interpretation of the poem is open to dispute.
4. be in dispute if something is in dispute, people are arguing about it:
    The facts of the case are still in dispute.
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ verbs
   ▪ resolve/settle a dispute (=end it) It is hoped that the dispute can be resolved peacefully.
   ▪ be involved in a dispute The US government became involved in a dispute with China.
   ▪ get into a dispute (=become involved) We don’t want to get into a dispute with them.
   ▪ be in dispute with somebody He was in dispute with the company about his contract.
   ▪ be locked in a dispute (=be involved in one that is difficult to resolve) Workers and management are locked in a bitter dispute.
   ▪ a dispute arises (=starts) Sometimes a dispute arises between the seller and the buyer.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + dispute
   ▪ a bitter/fierce dispute (=very angry) It caused a bitter dispute between the neighbouring republics.
   ▪ a long-running dispute (=continuing for a long time) India’s long-running dispute with Pakistan
   ▪ an industrial dispute British English a labor dispute American English (=between workers and employers) A lot of working days are lost through industrial disputes.
   ▪ a pay dispute (=about how much money employees are paid) The pay dispute involved 450 staff.
   ▪ a political/legal dispute There was a long legal dispute between the two companies.
   ▪ a domestic dispute formal (=between people who live together) The court heard that he had been stabbed during a domestic dispute.
   ▪ a border dispute (=about where the border between two countries is) a border dispute between Argentina and Chile
   ▪ a territorial dispute (=about which country land belongs to) The war started as the result of a territorial dispute.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ argument a situation in which people speak angrily to each other because they disagree about something: an argument between two drivers over who had right of way | A 29-year-old man was shot and killed today after an argument over a gambling debt.
   ▪ row British English, fight especially American English a loud angry argument with someone, especially your boyfriend, girlfriend, or someone in your family. Row is also used about a serious disagreement between politicians about important public issues: There were always fights between my parents. | the continuing row over tax increases | A few months ago they had a big row, and Steve drove off and spent the weekend in London.
   ▪ disagreement a situation in which people disagree with each other, but without shouting or getting angry: There were the occasional disagreements about money, but mostly we got on well. | Ginny had left the company after a disagreement with her boss.
   ▪ quarrel especially British English an argument, especially one in which people get angry and that lasts a long time. Quarrel sounds more formal and more serious than argument or row: a bitter family quarrel
   ▪ feud /fjuːd/ a very bitter argument between two groups, especially families, which lasts for many years and causes people to hate each other: The feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys raged for 20 years.
   ▪ dispute a public or legal argument about something, especially one which continues for a long time: Morris has been involved in a long legal dispute with his publisher. | The settlement will resolve a long-running dispute over the country’s nuclear program.
   ▪ war/battle of words an argument in which two people or groups criticize each other continuously in public: The war of words over construction delays at the airport has erupted again.
   ▪ bust-up British English informal a very bad argument, especially one in which people decide to separate from each other: He had a bust-up with the team manager.
   ▪ shouting match an angry argument in which people shout at each other: He got into a shouting match with another driver.
   ▪ slanging match British English informal an argument in which people insult each other: He was sacked after a slanging match with a colleague.

II

dis‧pute² /dɪˈspjuːt/ verb1. [transitive] to say that something such as a fact or idea is not correct or true:
    The main facts of the book have never been disputed.
    dispute that
    Few would dispute that travel broadens the mind.
2. [intransitive and transitive] formal to argue or disagree with someone
    dispute (something) with somebody
    Hazlitt, though much younger, was soon disputing with Wordsworth on equal terms.
    What happened next is hotly disputed.
3. [transitive] to try to get control of something or win something:
    Soviet forces disputed every inch of ground.