contentious

[kuhn-ten-shuhs]

adjective

1. tending to argument or strife; quarrelsome.

   a contentious crew.

   Synonyms: argumentative, disputatious

2. causing, involving, or characterized by argument or controversy.

   contentious issues.

3. Law.,  pertaining to causes between contending or opposing parties.

contentious

/ kənˈtɛnʃəs /

adjective

1. tending to argue or quarrel

2. causing or characterized by dispute; controversial

3. law relating to a cause or legal business that is contested, esp a probate matter

Other Word Forms

• contentiously adverb
• contentiousness noun
• noncontentious adjective
• noncontentiously adverb
• overcontentious adjective
• overcontentiously adverb
• overcontentiousness noun
• uncontentious adjective
• uncontentiously adverb
• uncontentiousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of contentious¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English contenciose, from Latin contentiōsus, from contenti(ō) contention + -ōsus -ous

Example Sentences

Washington and Beijing, who have been locked in contentious talks for months over tariffs and technology, have been preparing for a meeting between their two leaders.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It may be contentious, but it is also the action of someone increasingly comfortable in his own skin in this exacting job.

Read more on BBC

During the following decades, exhibitions often revealed a tug-of-war between opposing sensibilities—fissures perhaps unavoidable in a contentious democracy’s national museums—but in this century, a particular ideological bent has become dominant.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“Australia is being a leader in taking these very contentious, important changes to protect our young people.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Hulu released the latest look at its upcoming legal drama Tuesday and it appears that, much like contentious divorces, the show will get vicious and personal.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• antagonistic 
• combative 
• testy