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noun

controversy

CEFR B2

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

In a sentence

Six example sentences with controversy, each labelled with its topic.

  • The gallery's decision to hang the copy beside the original started a controversy that filled three months of letters pages.

    Art

  • For a decade the age of the universe was a controversy, with respected teams publishing figures that differed by billions of years.

    Science

  • The proposed bridge became a controversy at every council meeting, with residents and truckers shouting past each other for two years.

    Politics

  • Casting a British actor as the American hero became a controversy before a single frame was shot.

    Movies

  • The last-second foul call remains a controversy in the city, replayed on local television every spring.

    Basketball

  • Dylan's electric set at Newport caused a controversy that folk fans argued about for decades.

    Music

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Found in these word lists

Found in 5 published word listsAuthoritative

Each source is a published word list that contains controversy. No exam board publishes an official GRE, GMAT or SAT list; GMAT words come from GRE lists and the Academic Word List.

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