Obs. [The ppl. adj. CONTROVERSED = F. controversé, L. contrōversus, came at length to be treated as a true pple., implying a verb to controverse, which actually occurs in Florio as a rendering of It. controversare. In Fr., controversé goes back to 16th c., but the verb controverser is given only as a useful neologism by Littré. Latin had a deponent contrōversārī to enter into controversy, dispute: cf. sense 2.]
1. trans. To make (a matter) the subject of controversy; to discuss, debate.
1602. Carew, Cornwall, 26 b. The causes [are] so controversed amongst the learned.
1611. Florio, Controuersáre, to controuerse.
1616. T. Godwin, Moses & A. (1655), 33. It is much controversed, whether the Assideans were Pharisees or Essenes.
1755. B. Martin, Mag. Arts & Sc., II. i. 9. The most learned Philosophers have been controversing this Point for above 2000 Years.
b. To controverse in question: to call in question, challenge, dispute, controvert.
1601–2. Fulbecke, 2nd Pt. Parall., 12. If this title bee controuersed in question, whether shall the ecclesiasticall court or temporall hold iurisdiction.
2. intr. To enter into controversy, dispute with.
1699. F. Bugg, Quakerism Exp., 60. There never was any Heresie had the Impudence … to wrong all People they controvers’d with.
