tendentious

American  

[ten-den-shuhs] / tɛnˈdɛn ʃəs /

Also tendencious,

adjective

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

   a tendentious novel.

---

tendentious British  

/ tɛnˈdɛnʃəs /

adjective

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

---

Other Word Forms

• tendentiously adverb
• tendentiousness noun

Etymology

Origin of tendentious

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

Example Sentences

Page makes the tendentious claim that Shakespeare invented the villain, then walks it back to explain exactly what he means.

From Los Angeles Times

English has a particular facility to be manipulated for tendentious purposes.

From The Wall Street Journal

I am not persuaded by this criticism—the idea that Jaffa’s famous pugnacity arose from his Straussian ideas rather than his personality strikes me as tendentious.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From The Wall Street Journal

This was a weirdly tendentious way of putting the question.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• prejudicial