controversial

[kon-truh-vur-shuhl]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of controversy, or prolonged public dispute, debate, or contention; polemical.

   a controversial book.

2. subject to controversy; debatable.

   a controversial decision.

   Synonyms: questionable, arguable

3. given to controversy; argumentative; disputatious.

   a controversial public figure.

Other Word Forms

• controversialism noun
• controversialist noun
• controversially adverb
• noncontroversial adjective
• noncontroversially adverb
• precontroversial adjective
• uncontroversial adjective
• uncontroversially adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of controversial¹

First recorded in 1575–85; from Late Latin contrōversiālis; equivalent to controversy + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Guardiola said he felt "embarrassed and ashamed" after his on-pitch confrontation with a cameraman in the aftermath of the controversial defeat at Newcastle.

Read more on Barron's

One of the more controversial safety mandates is for auto-braking technology systems, which use sensors, cameras and software to detect potential crashes and automatically apply the brakes.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The report, which was commissioned by the Scottish government last year after a series of controversial decisions, gathered evidence from more than 450 people.

Read more on BBC

Verdict: This is controversial, but can a player who cost £100m and was effectively discarded after two seasons be truly considered a success?

Read more on BBC

Fresh elections may well be the least controversial proposal in the plan.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• contentious 
• disputed 
• dubious 
• questionable 

When To Use

What does controversial mean?

Controversial is used to describe someone or something that causes people to get upset and argue.Controversial is the adjective form of the noun controversy, which is a prolonged dispute, debate, or state of contention, especially one that unfolds in public and involves a stark difference of opinion. Things commonly called controversial include topics, actions, and people (particularly for what they say and do).Example: Questions about the candidate’s controversial remarks from the past prevented him from talking about his campaign.