disputation vs public debate

disputation and public debate both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
disputation	Yes	No	No	No
public debate	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, disputation and public debate are synonyms defined as:

disputation and public debate: the formal presentation of a stated proposition and the opposition to it (usually followed by a vote)

Other synonyms of disputation include debate.

disputation (noun)	public debate (noun)
the formal presentation of a stated proposition and the opposition to it (usually followed by a vote)	the formal presentation of a stated proposition and the opposition to it (usually followed by a vote)
a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement