definitions

contentious

[ kuhn-ten-shuhs ]
/ kənˈtɛn ʃəs /
||

adjective

tending to argument or strife; quarrelsome: a contentious crew.
causing, involving, or characterized by argument or controversy: contentious issues.
Law. pertaining to causes between contending or opposing parties.

RELATED CONTENT

Why Is It Called “Rock n’ Roll”?Is “Rocket ‘88” by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats the very first rock and roll record? The question has inspired debate among musicologists for years.  Another equally contentious question: Where does the term rock and roll  come from? Rock is derived from the Old English roccain, related to the Old Nordic rykkja meaning, “to pull, tear, move.” The earliest recorded use of the term in …
READ MORE
Where Did The Phrase “Thoughts And Prayers” Come From?While increased attention to the calamities of the world is in theory a good thing, hearing about every single tragedy doesn't necessarily correlate with absolute empathy. At the very least, people—especially politicians—tend to offer up a phrase or two to acknowledge a misfortune. One of the most popular phrases? "Thoughts and prayers."
READ MORE

Nearby words

content word, content-addressable storage, contented, contentedly, contention, contentious, contentiously, contentive, contently, contentment, conterminous

Origin of contentious

1400–50; late Middle English contenciose < Latin contentiōsus, equivalent to contenti(ō) contention + -ōsus -ous
SYNONYMS FOR contentious
1 disputatious, argumentative.
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for contentiously

  • "Na, th' ben't one alive," said an old miner, contentiously.

    Gordon Keith|Thomas Nelson Page

  • "I can't go and say to him, 'Don't you fall in love with me,'" said Dawn contentiously.

    Some Everyday Folk and Dawn|Miles Franklin

British Dictionary definitions for contentiously

contentious

/ (kənˈtɛnʃəs) /

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
Derived Formscontentiously, adverbcontentiousness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012