polemics

[puh-lem-iks, poh-]

noun (used with a singular verb)

the art or practice of disputation or controversy: a master of polemics.

the branch of theology dealing with the history or conduct of ecclesiastical disputation and controversy.

Compare irenics.

Origin of polemics

First recorded in 1630–40; see origin at polemic, -ics

polemic

[puh-lem-ik, poh-]

noun

a controversial argument, as one against some opinion, doctrine, etc.

a person who argues in opposition to another; controversialist.

adjective

Also po·lem·i·cal. of or relating to a polemic; controversial.

Origin of polemic

1630–40; < Greek polemikós of or for war, equivalent to pólem(os) war + -ikos -ic

Related formspo·lem·i·cal·ly, adverbnon·po·lem·ic, noun, adjectivenon·po·lem·i·cal, adjectivenon·po·lem·i·cal·ly, adverbo·ver·po·lem·i·cal, adjectiveo·ver·po·lem·i·cal·ly, adverbun·po·lem·ic, adjectiveun·po·lem·i·cal, adjectiveun·po·lem·i·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for polemics

spat, eristic, belligerent, contrary, bicker, tiff, ruckus, scene, wrangle, hassle, go, face-off, debate, row, beef, rhubarb, scrap, fight, altercation, out

Examples from the Web for polemics

Contemporary Examples of polemics

My hope is that Rand Paul now recognizes that even the most conservative Americans want to hear about policy, not polemics.
Rand Paul's Muslim-Bashing Speech
Dean Obeidallah
October 14, 2013
The problem is that the experience appears to have left him with an insatiable appetite for polemics.
Not a Useful Contribution
Daniel Gavron
October 1, 2012
As the fate of the Soviet Union dramatically showed, modern superpowers cannot be sustained by polemics and police forever.
Why China Eclipsed Russia
Peter Osnos
July 30, 2009

Historical Examples of polemics

The time which he had to devote to his polemics he regards as lost. '
Erasmus and the Age of Reformation
Johan Huizinga
In the great act of the Reformation their polemics were merely an after-play.
Erasmus and the Age of Reformation
Johan Huizinga
Polemics would ensue; he would have to answer in the papers.
Madame Bovary
Gustave Flaubert
Polemics are entirely absent from the poetry of his old age.
The Master Builder
Henrik Ibsen
I should not like to be misunderstood in my polemics against phylogeny.
The Science and Philosophy of the Organism
Hans Driesch

British Dictionary definitions for polemics

polemics

noun

(functioning as singular) the art or practice of dispute or argument, as in attacking or defending a doctrine or belief

polemic

adjective Also: po'lemical

of or involving dispute or controversy

noun

an argument or controversy, esp over a doctrine, belief, etc

a person engaged in such an argument or controversy

Derived Formspolemically, adverbpolemicist (pəˈlɛmɪsɪst) or polemist (ˈpɒlɪmɪst), noun

Word Origin for polemic

C17: from Medieval Latin polemicus, from Greek polemikos relating to war, from polemos war

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

Word Origin and History for polemics

polemic

1630s, "controversial argument or discussion," from French polémique (16c./17c.), noun use of adjective meaning "disputatious, controversial" (see polemic (adj.)).

polemic

adj.

1640s, from French polémique (from Middle French polemique) "disputatious, controversial," or directly from Greek polemikos "of war, warlike, belligerent; skilled in war, fit for service; like an enemy, stirring up hostility," from polemos "war," of unknown origin. Related: Polemical (1630s).