controversy
[ kon-truh-vur-see; British also kuhn-trov-er-see ]
/ ˈkɒn trəˌvɜr si; British also kənˈtrɒv ər si /
noun, plural con·tro·ver·sies.
a prolonged public dispute, debate, or contention; disputation concerning a matter of opinion.
contention, strife, or argument.
Origin of controversy
1350–1400; Middle English
controversie (< Anglo-French) < Latin
contrōversia, equivalent to
contrōvers(us) turned against, disputed (
contrō-, variant of
contrā against, +
versus, past participle of
vertere to turn) +
-ia
-y3
SYNONYMS FOR controversy
synonym study for controversy
2. See
argument.
OTHER WORDS FROM controversy
pre·con·tro·ver·sy, noun, plural pre·con·tro·ver·sies.Words nearby controversy
Example sentences from the Web for controversy
British Dictionary definitions for controversy
controversy
/ (ˈkɒntrəˌvɜːsɪ, kənˈtrɒvəsɪ) /
noun plural -sies
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
Derived forms of controversy
controversial (ˌkɒntrəˈvɜːʃəl), adjective controversialism, noun controversialist, noun controversially, adverbWord Origin for controversy
C14: from Latin
contrōversia, from
contrōversus turned in an opposite direction, from
contra- +
vertere to turn