Synonyms

controversy

American

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

noun

plural

controversies

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

Synonyms:

altercation, disagreement
contention, strife, or argument.

Synonyms:

wrangle, quarrel

controversy British

/ kənˈtrɒvəsɪ, ˈkɒntrəˌvɜːsɪ, ˌkɒntrəˈvɜːʃəl /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Related Words

See argument.

Other Word Forms

controversial adjective
controversialism noun
controversialist noun
controversially adverb
precontroversy noun

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

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.

Kanye West has said he "would be grateful" to meet members of the Jewish community in the UK after controversy over his headline booking at this year's Wireless Festival.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

The controversy ultimately forced newsrooms across the country to reconsider not just whether they should cover such figures, but how.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

Bucknor, 63, found himself in another swirl of controversy as the first-base umpire on Tuesday.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

However, the new policy didn’t come without controversy: Wikipedia’s editors argued internally over various use cases for artificial intelligence, including the potential inclusion of now-common internet features like generated article summaries.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

“There’s always controversy, you know—which spot is the exact one,” Poppy said.

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023