Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - issue

(issues, issuing, issued) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. An issue is an important subject that people are arguing about or discussing. Agents will raise the issue of prize-money for next year’s world championships... Is it right for the Church to express a view on political issues? = subject, matter N-COUNT: usu with supp see also side issue 2. If something is the issue, it is the thing you consider to be the most important part of a situation or discussion. I was earning a lot of money, but that was not the issue... The real issue was never addressed. N-SING: the N 3. An issue of something such as a magazine or newspaper is the version of it that is published, for example, in a particular month or on a particular day. The growing problem is underlined in the latest issue of the Lancet... = edition N-COUNT 4. If you issue a statement or a warning, you make it known formally or publicly. Last night he issued a statement denying the allegations... Yesterday his kidnappers issued a second threat to kill him. = put out VERB: V n, V n 5. If you are issued with something, it is officially given to you. On your appointment you will be issued with a written statement of particulars of employment... VERB: usu passive, be V-ed with n • Issue is also a noun. ...a standard army issue rifle. N-UNCOUNT: oft N n 6. When something such as a liquid, sound, or smell issues from something, it comes out of that thing. (FORMAL) A tinny voice issued from a speaker. VERB: V from n 7. The question or point at issue is the question or point that is being argued about or discussed. The problems of immigration were not the question at issue... PHRASE: usu v-link PHR 8. If you make an issue of something, you try to make other people think about it or discuss it, because you are concerned or annoyed about it. It seemed the Colonel had no desire to make an issue of the affair. PHRASE: V inflects 9. If you take issue with someone or something they said, you disagree with them, and start arguing about it. I will not take issue with the fact that we have a recession. = argue PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n