controversy
/ˈkɒntrəvəːsi
/ /kənˈtrɒvəsi /noun (plural controversies) [mass noun]
Prolonged public disagreement or heated discussion: the design of the building has caused controversy [count noun]: the announcement ended a protracted controversy...
- He will knowingly enter a mild scuffle of controversy not of his own making.
- A storm of controversy continues to rage over changes to bus services in Colchester.
- Then the police were subject to a storm of political conflict and controversy.
Synonyms
disagreement, dispute, argument, debate, dissension, contention, disputation, altercation, wrangle, quarrel, squabble, war of words, storm;
wrangling, quarrelling, squabbling, bickering;
polemic;
French cause célèbre
British informal row
rare velitation
Usage
There are two possible pronunciations of the word controversy: one puts the stress on the con- and the other puts it on the -trov-. The former pronunciation is the more traditional, but the latter is now more widespread in British English.
Origin
Late Middle English: from Latin controversia, from controversus 'turned against, disputed', from contro- (variant of contra- 'against') + versus, past participle of vertere 'to turn'.
This is from Latin controversia, from controversus ‘turned against, disputed’.