controversy
n.a lot of public disagreement or argument about something. It usually happens when people have very strong, opposite opinions on a topic.
n.a state of prolonged public dispute or debate concerning a matter of opinion. Often associated with ethical, political, or social issues that polarize a community.
“The new law caused a lot of controversy.”
“The decision to build a highway through the forest sparked a heated controversy among local residents.”
“The publication of the senator's private journals ignited a national controversy regarding the boundaries between public service and personal privacy.”
Often used with the verbs 'spark', 'cause', or 'stir up'; frequently followed by the prepositions 'over' or 'surrounding'.
Learners often use 'about of' or 'on' when 'over' or 'surrounding' are the more natural collocations for this noun.
Usage controversy surrounding
“It sometimes seems like no musical success in the 2020s is allowed to pass without some degree of online controversy.”
“But it has already generated intense controversy, which has exposed deeper questions about the way inquiries into major air incidents are carried out.”
Common in culture writing
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 controversie, from Latin contrōversia (“debate, contention, controversy”), from contrōversus (“turned in an opposite direction”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.