The word 争议 is formed through the conceptual fusion of its two component characters: 争, which carries the core meaning of "to strive", "to contend", or "to debate", and 议, which means "to discuss", "to deliberate", or "to comment on". Their combination is not merely additive but synergistic, creating a new, unified concept where the act of contentious debate (争) is inherently about a matter for discussion or judgment (议). It visually and semantically frames the idea of a clashing, opposing discussion, a dispute or controversy, where differing sides actively contend over a point of deliberation.