controversy

[ kon-truh-vur-see; British also kuhn-trov-er-see ]

noun

, plural con·tro·ver·sies.

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

controversy

/ kənˈtrɒvəsɪ; ˈkɒntrəˌvɜːsɪ; ˌkɒntrəˈvɜːʃəl /

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

Derived Forms

• ˌcontroˈversialˌism, noun
• ˌcontroˈversially, adverb
• controversial, adjective
• ˌcontroˈversialist, noun

Other Words From

• pre·contro·versy noun plural precontroversies

Word History and Origins

Origin of controversy¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of controversy¹

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

Synonym Study

See argument.

Example Sentences

It was a social experiment, not without controversy.

From New York Times

Richardson and Chambers took aim at each other’s past controversies.

From Los Angeles Times

Outside all the chatter, Shaboozey addressed the growing controversy with good grace.

From Salon

Gaetz withdrew from consideration as the House Ethics Committee battled over whether to release their report, announcing on Thursday that controversy over his confirmation was “a distraction” to the president-elect’s agenda.

From Salon

You want coverage, and controversy is OK, and you want debate.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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

More About Controversy

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.

Where does controversy come from?

The first records of the word controversy come from the 1300s. It comes from the Latin contrōversia, which is equivalent to contrōvers(us), meaning “turned against” or “disputed.” The term ultimately derives from the roots contrā, meaning “against” (as seen in words like contrary), and vertere, meaning “to turn” (as in the word versus).

Yes, controversies cause people to turn against each other. People say and do things all the time that cause arguments or debate (and the strife and discord that come with them), but we most often use the word controversy when these situations play out in public. There’s a reason for that: the more public something is, the more people will engage with it. And when people are involved, there’s no shortage of opinions. The formula for controversy is very simple: a lot of opinions plus a lot of passion. Topics traditionally known as controversial include religion and politics, probably because those are two areas where people are least willing to compromise. In this way, controversies can be polarizing, meaning that they divide people into very specific groups based on their very specific opinions.

People (particularly public figures) are called controversial when they do or say things that get other people worked up. Of course, some people cause controversy on purpose, especially to attract attention.

People sometimes criticize the use of the word controversial, especially by the media, to describe something that they argue is not just contentious but plain wrong in some way, as in His remarks weren’t controversial—they were racist.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to controversy?

• controversial (adjective)
• controversially (adverb)

What are some words that share a root or word element with controversy? 

 

• controvert
• contrary
• versus

What are some words that often get used in discussing controversy?

 

• public
• political
• source
• surrounding
• scandal
• contentious
• dispute
• opinion
• argument
• media
• polarizing
• divisive

How is controversy used in real life?

The word controversy is most often used when such a dispute happens in public and is documented (and, yes, sometimes played up) by the media.

Protesters toppled and set aflame a statue of Albert Pike in Washington. The statue, funded by the Freemasons, was the only statue of a Confederate general in the nation's capital and a longtime source of controversy. https://t.co/suvVYzA9aR

— The Associated Press (@AP) June 20, 2020

1/ I’m not weighing in on the growing controversy about the complex rules applied to developers in @Apple’s App Store. Just based on what I’ve read, I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple is forced to change some of them. But I want to make three points that people seem to forget.

— Walt Mossberg (@waltmossberg) June 17, 2020

Controversy is back in the Premier League.

It only took 41 minutes 🤣 pic.twitter.com/GcxGkVGxzt

— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 17, 2020

 

 

Try using controversy!

Which of the following words is LEAST likely to be used to describe a controversy?

A. intense
B. political
C. contentious
D. agreeable