WorldSeptember 4, 2026

controvert

KON-truh-vurt

Definition

To deny, dispute, or provide evidence against a claim or assertion made in a legal setting.

Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'contra' (against) and 'vertere' (to turn), the word originally meant to turn against or oppose in argument.

In the news

The judge used the word to explain that because the defendants failed to effectively deny the allegations in the prosecution's counter-affidavit, the court accepted those claims as facts.

480bn Meth Case: Court Rejects Bail For 3 Mexicans, 7 Nigerians

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