contentious
Americanadjective
-
tending to argument or strife; quarrelsome.
a contentious crew.
- Synonyms:
- argumentative, disputatious
-
causing, involving, or characterized by argument or controversy.
contentious issues.
-
Law. pertaining to causes between contending or opposing parties.
adjective
-
tending to argue or quarrel
-
causing or characterized by dispute; controversial
-
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
Etymology
Origin of contentious
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English contenciose, from Latin contentiōsus, from contenti(ō) contention + -ōsus -ous
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.
Sweeping contentious issues under the rug and relegating them to wanton aggravation is one major way of letting these same topics fester.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
One area of healthcare that is frequently contentious and can largely be compared across the UK is A&E waiting times.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
Even issues that would go on to be more contentious within feminism and outside it—body positivity, trans rights—did crucial work.
From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026
Much like in the U.S., immigration is a contentious topic in the Dominican Republic — the country shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, which has seen an exodus of its people over the decade.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026
There was a formal debate on the always contentious proposition that “the East is a better place to live than the West.”
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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.
