controverse
French, noun
controverse is a French feminine noun meaning “controversy (debate, discussion of opposing opinions)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). It is also a first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive of controverser. With an accent, controversé is a different word: “controversial”. The French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire) defines it as “Débat sur une question, sur une opinion, etc. suscité par des avis divergents”.
What does controverse mean in English?
noun
- 1
femininecontroversy (debate, discussion of opposing opinions)
verb
- 1
first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
- 2
second-person singular imperative
adjective
- 1
controversial
verb
- 1
past participle of controverser
Source: English Wiktionary, French section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How French dictionaries define it
noun: 1. Débat sur une question, sur une opinion, etc. suscité par des avis divergents. 2. Dispute qui a pour objet des points de foi.
adjective: 1. Qui soulève une controverse.
The definition in the French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire), in French.
Source: French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire), dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
Forms of controverse
- controverses plural
- controversée feminine
- controversés masculine plural
- controversées feminine plural
Source: English Wiktionary and French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026).
English words that translate to controverse
Source: the translation tables of the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026.
How common is controverse in French?
controverse appears 6.9 times per million words in written French.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).