Basic Details
Word: Controversy
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A long public disagreement or argument about something many people have strong opinions on.
Synonyms: dispute, debate, argument, row
Antonyms: agreement, consensus, harmony
Word origin: From Latin controversia, from contra, against, and vertere, to turn.
How to Spell Controversy
Syllables: con - tro - ver - sy
Tricky part: The second syllable is tro, not tra, and the word ends in -sy, not -cy or -sey.
Watch out for: contraversy, controversey, controvercy, controvarsy
Memory tip: Hide verse inside it and drop its e: contro + vers + y. In a controversy, two sides recite opposite verses.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The plan to cut down the old banyan tree caused a big controversy.
Example 2: There was controversy over the new school timings.
Example 3: The film became a hit despite the controversy about its ending.
Fun Fact
The word itself causes a small argument in Britain: some people stress it CON-tro-ver-sy and others con-TROV-er-sy. Dictionaries accept both.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
contr_ver_y
a) a, c
b) o, c
c) a, s
d) o, s
Show answer
d) o, s. Contro begins with the contra- idea but is spelt with an o here, and the end is -sy.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word controversy as used in the sentence:
The new parking rule caused a controversy that lasted for weeks in our housing society.
a) agreement
b) debate
c) quarrel
d) dispute
Show answer
a) agreement. Dispute, quarrel and debate are all kinds of disagreement, so agreement is the only opposite.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
The umpire's decision led to a huge vosoceryrnt in the cricket world.
a) controversy
b) contrivance
c) conversation
d) conservatory
Show answer
a) controversy. The letters include a y but no a, so conversation, contrivance and conservatory, which all need an a, cannot be made from them.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which plan is most likely to cause controversy?
a) painting the school gate blue again
b) planting roses along a quiet lane
c) adding idli to the canteen menu
d) cutting down an old park for parking
Show answer
d) cutting down an old park for parking
2. A controversial decision is one that ____.
a) nobody ever hears about
b) many people disagree about
c) everyone accepts happily
d) is made in a great hurry
Show answer
b) many people disagree about
