controversy
Americannoun
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controversies
plural
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a prolonged public dispute, debate, or contention; disputation concerning a matter of opinion.
- Synonyms:
- altercation, disagreement
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contention, strife, or argument.
noun
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
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controversialismnoun
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controversialistnoun
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precontroversynoun
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controversialadjective
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controversiallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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."
Vocabulary lists containing controversy
The Bill of Rights
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 3
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Against All Odds: Contra and Counter
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When a scientific controversy or breakthrough dominates headlines, press officers and journalists often quote a handful of experts.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026
El-Sayed has also tolerated controversy to a degree that Obama never did.
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026
Since the summer, when 10-year executive director David Hussey was ousted, teachers, parents and others have been using words such as “chaos” and “soap opera” to describe the ongoing controversy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
The trouble with stirring up controversy, he admitted, is that it comes crashing down on your head if you underperform.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
There is much uncertainty about the interpretation of experimental data and a great deal of controversy surrounding the theories.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
“Typically, single-ad controversies blow over after a few news cycles,” Justin Ehrlich, associate professor of sport analytics at Syracuse University, told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
But several exams have landed in controversies due to allegations of question papers being leaked and candidates using unfair means.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 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
You are likely already familiar with Piker’s controversies.
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026
Once you understand that prescriptive rules are the conventions of a specialized form of the language, most of the iptivist controversies evaporate.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
