controversy

American  

[kon-truh-vur-see, kuhn-trov-er-see] / ˈkɒn trəˌvɜr si, kənˈtrɒv ər si /

noun

• controversies
  plural

1. a prolonged public dispute, debate, or contention; disputation concerning a matter of opinion.

   Synonyms:

   altercation, disagreement

2. contention, strife, or argument.

   Synonyms:

   wrangle, quarrel

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controversy British  

/ kənˈtrɒvəsɪ, ˈkɒntrəˌvɜːsɪ /

noun

1. dispute, argument, or debate, esp one concerning a matter about which there is strong disagreement and esp one carried on in public or in the press

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Usage

What does controversy mean? A controversy is a prolonged dispute, debate, or state of contention, especially one that unfolds in public and involves a stark difference of opinion. Controversy can refer to a specific dispute, as in The recent controversy started three weeks ago, or a general state of contention, as in Important literature usually results in controversy. The adjective form controversial is used to describe someone or something that causes people to get upset and argue. Example: The controversy surrounding the candidate’s past remarks has overshadowed the campaign.

Synonym Usage

See argument.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• controversialism
  noun
• controversialist
  noun
• precontroversy
  noun
• controversial
  adjective
• controversially
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• controversies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of controversy

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English controversie, from Anglo-French, from Latin contrōversia, from contrōvers(us) “turned against, disputed” ( contrō-, variant of contrā “against” + versus “turned,” past participle of vertere “to turn”) + -ia -y ³

Explanation

A controversy is a dispute or argument in which people express strong opposing views. When a popular TV show kills off a well-loved character, there's bound to be a lot of controversy. Controversy means a quarrel (often public) involving strong disagreement, but the topic can be as unimportant as a new movie. There might be a controversy in the pages of fashion magazines over whether shorter hems are really in style, or about wearing white after Labor Day. Controversy is from the Latin contrōversus, "turned in an opposite direction," from the prefix contrā, "against," plus versus, a form of vertere, "to turn."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

controversy controversies

"Our experiment provided the first empirical demonstration of a process that had previously been shrouded in controversy," Larrea summarizes.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 5, 2026

It is not the first time Dean has courted controversy for his media statements.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

While controversy surrounds the embarrassingly blurry line between college football and the National Football League, our culture needs to take a moment to commend and steward the glorious tradition of high-school football.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

Sometimes, controversy can be a tax in its own right.

From Slate ● Sep. 3, 2026

And though the controversy did not immediately bring the abolition of slavery, the end was in sight.

From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson

She has steered clear of controversies that have occurred at CBS News since Bari Weiss was installed as editor-in-chief, and showed a willingness to step up for big assignments.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

Without directly referencing these controversies, Haakon said during his speech: "Our family has experienced the importance of standing together in order to remain steadfast both within ourselves and for one another even during difficult times."

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

While several industry experts told MarketWatch that controversies over advertisements tend to fizzle out in the medium term, there’s always a chance that damage to its brand could linger.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026

The controversies have coincided with the drop in Reform polling support and in popularity for Farage, long a divisive figure loved and loathed in largely equal measure.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

No controversies with reference to the truth or falsity of the communications should be entered into during their continuance.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

• argument
• bickering
• difference
• discussion
• fuss
• quarrel
• squabble
• strife
• wrangle
• wrangling