From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdisputedis‧pute1 /dɪˈspjuːt, ˈdɪspjuːt/ ●●○ W3 noun [countable, uncountable] 1 SERIOUS DISAGREEMENTARGUEa serious argument or disagreementdispute 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► see thesaurus at argument2 → be beyond dispute3 → be open to dispute4 → be in disputeCOLLOCATIONSverbsresolve/settle a dispute (=end it)It is hoped that the dispute can be resolved peacefully.be involved in a disputeThe 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 somebodyHe 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 + disputea 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 Pakistanan 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 disputeThere 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 Chilea territorial dispute (=about which country land belongs to)The war started as the result of a territorial dispute.
Examples from the Corpus
dispute• It sounds like a boundary dispute.• Representatives from both sides met late last night in an attempt to settle the budget dispute between Congress and the President.• He asked the panel to chose its foreman quickly and in a way that does not create disputes.• My guess was that they would find their way into the press and would undermine our efforts to settle the health dispute.• Morris has been involved in a long legal dispute with his publisher.• The main areas of dispute had been an executive president, a second house of parliament, and proportional representation.• The settlement of disputes between participants in a company may also prove awkward.• There is some dispute as to whether dinghy sailing and windsurfing are classified as immersion sports and whether or not they will be permitted.• But the dispute will probably never be settled since both Topeka and Azusa Street have now achieved a certain mythic quality.• All efforts to settle the dispute have so far failed.• The dispute over weapons inspections is likely to be the main topic of tomorrow's meeting.dispute between• Several disputes have broken out between businesses competing for the best locations.disputedis‧pute2 /dɪˈspjuːt/ ●●○ verb 1 [transitive]DISAGREE 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, transitive]ARGUE formal to argue or disagree with someonedispute (something) with somebody Hazlitt, though much younger, was soon disputing with Wordsworth on equal terms. What happened next is hotly disputed.3 [transitive]PM to try to get control of something or win something Soviet forces disputed every inch of ground.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
dispute• Firstly, the researchers dispute amongst themselves over the value of experiments where animals need to be used.• They show how these definitions may be disputed by individuals or groups, and how actors negotiate shared rules and ideas.• Jay was not to be disputed on subjects central to his interests.• Since ancient times people have disputed the actions taken by their neighbours.• McAvennie disputed the fine and called on the Professional Footballer's grievance procedures to voice his dissent.• Local residents disputed the police's version of the incident.• He specifically disputed two witnesses who said they saw him slap her.dispute that• Vaca disputes that claim but acknowledges that despondency over years of abuse had affected his ministry.• There is also no dispute that du Pont suffers from mental illness, as even the prosecution has acknowledged.• He did not dispute that Herman attended the function.• Debates over inequality and development are then ultimately ideological disputes that involve political as well as economic choices.• There is no disputing that Mobutu and his entourage took the riches.• The News International ban was just the type of dispute that must have been envisaged when the Code was drawn up.• Pike disputed that, saying the savings in expenses would be offset by higher commissions paid to the independent agents.• I do not believe it is disputed that this factor has been powerfully in operation recently.hotly disputed• But, in the past, the species unity of mankind has been hotly disputed.• Even that much is hotly disputed.• The overall trend in peasant living standards during the period is hotly disputed.• The precise part played by peasant unrest in the genesis and character of the reform has long been hotly disputed.• Yet in spite of its overwhelming logic, the Griffiths case was hotly disputed.• It has become the most famous and hotly disputed California ballot measure since Proposition 13 cut property taxes in 1978.• At other times, however, he is more circumspect and admits that this is a hotly disputed issue in biology.• The most hotly disputed point was the size of the market.From Longman Business Dictionarydisputedi‧spute /dɪˈspjuːt, ˈdɪspjuːt/ noun1[countable, uncountable]HUMAN RESOURCES a serious disagreement between two groups of people, especially a disagreement between workers and their employers in which the workers take action to protestThe amount of working time lost through disputes and stoppages has fallen dramatically.a pay dispute involving 450 staffdispute betweenSeveral disputes have broken out between businesses competing for the best locations.dispute overtheir long-running dispute over copyright2be in dispute (with somebody) if two groups of people are in dispute, they are involved in a disagreementThe EU is in dispute with the German government over the level of their production subsidies.Origin dispute2 (1500-1600) Old French desputer, from Latin disputare “to discuss”, from putare “to think” 