The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Controvert \Con"tro*vert\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Controverted;
   p. pr. & vb. n. Controverting.] [See Controversy.]
   To make matter of controversy; to dispute or oppose by
   reasoning; to contend against in words or writings; to
   contest; to debate.
   [1913 Webster]

         Some controverted points had decided according to the
         sense of the best jurists.               --Macaulay.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

controvert
    v 1: be resistant to; "The board opposed his motion" [syn:
         oppose, controvert, contradict]
    2: prove to be false or incorrect [syn: refute, rebut,
       controvert]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

125 Moby Thesaurus words for "controvert":
   abjure, air, analyze, answer, answer conclusively, argue down,
   assert the contrary, be at cross-purposes, be contrary to,
   be opposed to, belie, break, call into question, canvass,
   challenge, clash, comment upon, conflict, conflict with, confound,
   confute, consider, contest, contradict, contrapose, contrast with,
   contravene, counter, counteract, counterbalance, countercheck,
   counterpoise, counterpose, countervail, counterwork, cross, crush,
   deal with, debate, defeat, deliberate, deliberate upon, demolish,
   deny, disaffirm, disallow, disavow, disclaim, disconfirm,
   discourse about, discuss, dismiss, disown, dispose of, disprove,
   dispute, evert, examine, exchange views, finish, floor, forswear,
   gainsay, go into, handle, impugn, investigate, join issue upon,
   juxtapose in opposition, knock around, negate, nonplus, not accept,
   not admit, nullify, offset, oppose, oppugn, overthrow, overturn,
   overwhelm, parry, pass under review, play at cross-purposes,
   put to silence, question, rap, reason, reason about,
   reason the point, rebut, recant, reduce to silence,
   refuse to admit, refute, reject, renounce, repudiate, retract,
   review, revoke, run counter to, set off, settle, shut up, sift,
   silence, smash all opposition, squash, squelch, study, subvert,
   take back, take issue with, take up, talk, talk about, talk of,
   talk over, thresh out, traverse, treat, undermine, upset,
   ventilate