polemics

American  

[puh-lem-iks, poh-] / pəˈlɛm ɪks, poʊ- /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. the art or practice of disputation or controversy.

   a master of polemics.

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

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polemics British  

/ pəˈlɛmɪks /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of polemics

First recorded in 1630–40; polemic, -ics

Example Sentences

What Mr. Restall means is that the great explorer is still at the center of a swarm of unresolved polemics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

Apart from fierce polemics, the election has generated widespread confusion.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2025

One of the more recent and ballyhooed polemics against Roosevelt was "The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression," a 2007 bestseller by Amity Shlaes.

From Salon • Nov. 4, 2023

She called the polemics a "frankly very minor issue in terms of international politics".

From Reuters • Feb. 10, 2023

I thought that once the heated polemics had cooled, the essential commonality of the struggle would bring us together.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela