controversial
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of controversy, or prolonged public dispute, debate, or contention; polemical.
a controversial book.
-
subject to controversy; debatable.
a controversial decision.
- Synonyms:
- questionable, arguable
-
given to controversy; argumentative; disputatious.
a controversial public figure.
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
- controversialism noun
- controversialist noun
- controversially adverb
- noncontroversial adjective
- noncontroversially adverb
- precontroversial adjective
- uncontroversial adjective
- uncontroversially adverb
Etymology
Origin of controversial
First recorded in 1575–85; from Late Latin contrōversiālis; equivalent to controversy + -al 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It is a stark contrast to Fifa's controversial pricing policy at this summer's World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
From BBC
Mr. Warsh wasn’t a particularly controversial choice by the president, but the main reasons for delay have nothing to do with him.
It also made him a highly controversial figure.
From BBC
Unity has had a lot to grapple with over the past few years, from leadership churn to industrywide backlash a following a controversial change to its pricing model.
From Barron's
The announcement comes amid continued struggles for the video game industry, which has in recent months seen a slew of sudden developer layoffs, service price increases and controversial leadership changes.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
