They disputed at great length what they should do.
dispute v. 3. to question whether sth. is true and valid 质疑
These figures have been disputed.
The election result was disputed.
Galileo maintained that the earth revolved around the sun, disputing the belief held by the Roman Catholic church that the earth was the center of the universe.
dispute n. a serious argument or disagreement 争议,争执,纠纷
China’s claims of sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands are beyond dispute.
The two sides are locked into a bitter dispute. 双方陷入了激烈的争论。
They hope for a peaceful settlement of the dispute. 他们希望和平解决争端。
be beyond dispute 毋庸置疑;是不争的事实
The quality of his research is beyond dispute. 他的研究质量是毋庸置疑的。
be open to dispute / question / debate ……尚有争议;不确定的;有待商榷
It’s open todispute / question / debate whether the new government is any better than the old one.
Whether the new policy will actually create jobs is open to debate. 这项新政策是否真的能创造就业机会还存在争议。