vāda : [m.] theory; saying; creed controversy.

A.P. Buddhadatta Mahathera, Concise Pali-English and English-Pali Dictionary [available as digital version from Metta Net, Sri Lanka]

Vāda [fr. vad: see vadati; Vedic vāda (not in RV!), in meaning of "theory, disputation" only in Class. Sk. <-> The relation of roots vac: vad is like E. speak: say; but vāda as t. t. has developed quite distinctly the specified meaning of an emphatic or formulated speech= assertion or doctrine] 1. speaking, speech, talk, nearly always -- ˚, e. g. iti˚ hearsay, general talk M. i.133; S v.73; A ii.26; kumāraka˚ child -- talk or childish talk, i. e. in the manner of talking to a child S ii.218 sq.; cori˚ deceitful talk PvA 89 (so read with v. l. for T. bheri˚); dhammika˚ righteous speech A v.230; musā˚ telling lies, false speech Ai.129; ii.141; iv.401; PvA 15. See under musā. -- adj. ( -- ˚) speaking up for, proclaiming, advertising D i.174 (sīla˚, paññā˚ etc.); Sn 913 (nivissa˚ dogmatist); A i.287 (kamma˚, kiriya˚, viriya˚). -- vādaŋ bhindati to refute a speech, to make a view discrepant (cp. bhinna -- vāda under 4!) SnA 45 (Māravādaŋ bh.). -- 2. what is said, reputation, attribute, characteristic Sn 859 (but SnA 550=nindā -- vacana); J i.2 (jāti˚ genealogy, cp. D i.137). See also cpd. ˚patha. -- 3. discussion, disputation, argument, controversy, dispute Sn 390, 827 (also as adj. hīna˚); DhA iii.390= Vin iv.1; Mhvs 4, 42 (sutvā ubhinnaŋ vādaŋ). -- 4. doctrine, theory put forth, creed, belief, school, sect SnA 539 sq.; in cpds.: ācariya˚ traditional teaching Miln 148; also "heterodoxy" Mhbv 96, cp. Dpvs v.30; uccheda˚ annihilistic doctrine Nd1 282: see under uccheda; thera˚ the tradition of the Theras, i. e. the orthodox doctrine or word of Gotama Buddha Mhvs 5, 2; 33, 97 sq.; Dpvs v.10, 14 (theravādo aggavādo ti vuccati), 51 (17 heretical sects, one orthodox, altogether 18 schools);dhuta˚ (adj.) expounding punctiliousness Vism 81 (=aññe dhutangena ovadati anusāsati). See under dhuta; bhinna˚ heretical sect (lit. discrepant talk or view) Dpvs v.39, 51 (opp. abhinnaka vāda); sassata˚ an eternalist Ps i.155.
   -- ânuvāda the trsln of this phrase (used as adj.) at S iii.6 (see K.S. iii.7) is "one who is of his way of thinking." all kinds of sectarian doctrines or doctrinal theses D i.161; iii.115; S iii.6; iv.51, 340, 381; v.7; A iii.4; Nett 52. -- kāma desirous of disputation Sn 825. -- khitta upset in disputation, thrown out of his belief Vin iv.1=DhA iii.390. -- patha "way of speech," i. e. signs of recognition, attribute, definition Sn 1076 (expld dogmatically at Nd2 563); A ii.9. -- sattha the science of disputation, true doctrine SnA 540. -- sīla having the habit of, or used, to disputes Sn 381.

Pali-English Dictionary, TW Rhys Davids, William Stede,