disceptātĭo, ōnis, f. [discepto], a dispute, disputation, debate, discussion, disquisition.
I In gen. (good prose in sing. and plur.; cf. for syn.: controversia, concertatio, altercatio, contentio, jurgium, rixa, disputatio): cum quibus omnis fere nobis disceptatio contentioque est, Cic. Div. 2, 72, 150: non disceptatio modo, sed etiam altercatio, Liv. 38, 32; so absol. , Cic. Off. 1, 11, 34; id. Deiot. 2, 5: rationum et firmamentorum contentio adducit in angustum disceptationem, id. Part. Or. 30, 104; Liv. 27, 5; 32, 40; Quint. 3, 11, 11; 7, 5, 2 al.: lator ipse legis, cum esset controversia nulla facti, juris tamen disceptationem esse voluit, Cic. Mil. 9, 23; so, juris, Quint. 3, 6, 82: forenses judiciorum aut deliberationum, Cic. de Or. 1, 6, 22; cf. Quint. 2, 4, 24: judicationum, id. 3, 11, 19 et saep.: verborum (opp.: directa denuntiatio belli), Liv. 21, 19: cogitationum, Vulg. Rom. 14, 1.—
II Esp., a decision, judicial award, judgment (very rare): arbitrorum (coupled with publica judicia), Quint. 11, 1, 43: praetoris, Dig. 2, 15, 8, § 24.