tendentious

Also ten·dencious,

[ten-den-shuhs]

adjective

1. having or showing a definite tendency, bias, or purpose.

   a tendentious novel.

tendentious

/ tɛnˈdɛnʃəs /

adjective

1. having or showing an intentional tendency or bias, esp a controversial one

Other Word Forms

• tendentiously adverb
• tendentiousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tendentious¹

1895–1900; < Medieval Latin tendenti ( a ) tendency + -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of tendentious¹

C20: from _tendency

Example Sentences

Despite its somewhat tendentious title and Nelson’s fuming belief that as a Latino he is seen as a loan risk, “The Other Americans” is not a dramatic screed denouncing the inequities of American culture.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

That kind of tendentious formulation, along with the overall perspective, ultimately led to the exhibition’s cancellation.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This was a weirdly tendentious way of putting the question.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Some of the defiant humor about women’s bodies feels tendentious and forced.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

That would be a more appropriate description of the majority report, which advances no “facts” but rests on fabricated and tendentious assumptions.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• prejudicial