controversy

B2 Topic:General Vocabulary

US /kənˈtɹɒv.ə.si/ See IPA manual

Freq #13689

Meanings

1

noun
A serious public argument or disagreement about something.

The new law caused a great deal of controversy.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a serious public argument... debate argument dispute conflict

Word family

Forms controversies

Simplified etymology

Controversy entered English in the late Middle Ages from Latin controversia, derived from controversus, “turned against” or “disputed.”

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Italic *-teros Proto-Italic *komterosder. Proto-Italic *komterād Latin contrā Proto-Indo-European *wert- Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *wr̥ttós Proto-Italic *worssosder. Latin vorsusder. Latin versus Latin contrōversus Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ia Latin contrōversia Old French controversiebor. Middle English controversie English controversy From Middle English controversie, from Old French cont…

controversie Middle English contrōversia Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# controversy

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /kənˈtɹɒv.ə.si/
**Frequency rank:** 13689

## Meanings
1. A serious public argument or disagreement about something.

## Examples
- The new law caused a great deal of controversy.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: controversie
- Root: contrōversia

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Italic *-teros Proto-Italic *komterosder. Proto-Italic *komterād Latin contrā Proto-Indo-European *wert- Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *wr̥ttós Proto-Italic *worssosder. Latin vorsusder. Latin versus Latin contrōversus Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ia Latin contrōversia Old French controversiebor. Middle English controversie English controversy From Middle English controversie, from Old French cont…

## AI Etymology
Controversy is from Middle English controversie, from Old French cont…. The historical chain also includes Latin contrōversia. As a noun, the word names a person, thing, state, or result associated with the older form rather than introducing a separate visible root. In use as a noun, controversy denotes a serious public argument or disagreement about something. Typical contexts include “The new law caused a great deal of controversy”.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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