CONTROVERSY

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does controversy mean? 

• CONTROVERSY (noun)
  The noun CONTROVERSY has 1 sense:

1. a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement

  Familiarity information: CONTROVERSY used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CONTROVERSY (noun)

Meaning:

A contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

arguing; contestation; controversy; disceptation; argument; contention; disputation; tilt

Context example:

they were involved in a violent argument

Hypernyms ("controversy" is a kind of...):

conflict; difference; difference of opinion; dispute (a disagreement or argument about something important)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "controversy"):

argle-bargle; argy-bargy (a verbal dispute; a wrangling argument)

firestorm (an outburst of controversy)

sparring (an argument in which the participants are trying to gain some advantage)

polemic (a controversy (especially over a belief or dogma))

fight (an intense verbal dispute)