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

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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

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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

BBC Tamil visited a Chennai address listed by Agal Vilakku and another publisher named in the controversy, Phoenix Publishing House, but found no signs identifying either business.

From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026

Katie Deighton has a separate report today, this time on the latest controversy over craft in advertising:

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026

Though the primary is nearly 500 days away, the race already is generating controversy at the Hall of Administration.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026

“We were a little bit insulated at the time from the controversy back in the states,” one of the bandmates told the audience, setting up “Not Ready to Make Nice.”

From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2026

There was even this big controversy when me and him were checking in at the start of the second quarter.

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña

It also staggered through a series of controversies that often overshadowed the action on the court.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

Complications and byzantine controversies helped stymie the union in its adolescence, with Huerta usually supporting Chávez, even as he became distracted from the union’s central work and demanded absolute power.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

But then came a series of controversies in the past two weeks.

From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026

Dourif has never generated any significant controversies to our knowledge, but his appearance is notable because it contradicts his 2024 retirement announcement.

From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2026

I worked the printing presses at the Idisher Kuryer, which rarely delved into politics and spent its page space kvetching about community controversies.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

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Related Words

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

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