I mean, debates aren’t just like, whatever we pretend them to be.

They are like, an actual, structured, formatted, moderated thing. There are definitions that are meaningful to these words.

For example: https://opentodebate.org/what-is-the-oxford-style-debate-format/

You poll the audience before the debate begins on the reaction to the thesis. You poll them afterwords. Whichever team changed more minds is the winner.