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con·tro·ver·sy

(kŏntrə-vûr′sē)

n. pl. con·tro·ver·sies

1. A dispute, especially a public one, between sides holding opposing views.

2. The act or practice of engaging in such disputes: writers skilled at controversy.

[Middle English controversie, from Latin contrōversia, from contrōversus, disputed : contrō- (variant of contrā, contra-) + versus, past participle of vertere, to turn; see wer-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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