1. a prolonged public disagreement or heated discussion about a matter of opinion

Examples

• The new policy sparked controversy among parents and teachers.
• The celebrity's comments created a major controversy on social media.
• The book generated controversy for its controversial claims about history.
• City council members tried to avoid controversy by postponing the vote.
• The controversy surrounding the election results lasted for months.
• Scientists debated the controversy over climate change data.
• The movie's violent scenes caused controversy among critics.