controversia

controversy

noun kon-troh-VER-syah Rare

Origin: Latin controversia (dispute), from contra + vertere (to turn against).

Also means

dispute

Usage Note

Controversia is a formal or semi-formal word for a prolonged dispute or controversy (suscitare una controversia = to spark a controversy). In legal Italian it specifically means a legal dispute or case. The adjective is controverso ('controversial'). The plural is le controversie.

Examples

"La sua dichiarazione ha scatenato una controversia."

Natural Translation

His statement sparked a controversy.

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