controversy

[ kon-truh-vur-see; British also kuhn-trov-er-see ]
See synonyms for: controversycontroversies on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural con·tro·ver·sies.
  1. a prolonged public dispute, debate, or contention; disputation concerning a matter of opinion.

  2. contention, strife, or argument.

Origin of controversy

1
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 -y3

synonym study For controversy

2. See argument.

Other words for controversy

Other words from controversy

  • pre·con·tro·ver·sy, noun, plural pre·con·tro·ver·sies.

Words Nearby controversy

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How to use controversy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for controversy

controversy

/ (ˈkɒntrəˌvɜːsɪ, kənˈtrɒvəsɪ) /


nounplural -sies
  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

Origin of controversy

1
C14: from Latin contrōversia, from contrōversus turned in an opposite direction, from contra- + vertere to turn

Derived forms of controversy

  • controversial (ˌkɒntrəˈvɜːʃəl), adjective
  • controversialism, noun
  • controversialist, noun
  • controversially, adverb

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