- of, subject to, or stirring up controversy; debatable
- Rare liking to take part in controversy; disputatious
Origin of controversial
Late Latin controversialis
adjective
Controversial describes something that is likely to create disagreement.
Politics is an example of acontroversial topic.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"controversial." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 12 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Controversial>.
APA Style
controversial. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Controversial
controversial
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"controversial." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 12 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Controversial>.
APA Style
controversial. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Controversial
controversial
adjective
- Of, producing, or marked by controversy: a controversial movie; a controversial stand on human rights.
- Fond of controversy; disputatious.
Related Forms:
- con′tro·ver′sial·ist
noun
- con′tro·ver′si·al′i·ty
noun
- con′tro·ver′sial·ly
adverb
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"controversial." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 12 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Controversial>.
APA Style
controversial. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Controversial
Adjective
(comparative more controversial, superlative most controversial)
- Arousing controversy—a debate or discussion of opposing opinions.
Usage notes
- Nouns often used with "controversial": topic, subject, work, author, method, etc.
Origin
From Latin controversia (“controversy”) + -al; see controversy.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"controversial." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 12 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Controversial>.
APA Style
controversial. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Controversial
Sentence Examples
- The nasty field that dissolved any type of biological entity was one of the government's latest controversial creations.
- As a religious teacher, literary critic, historian and jurist, Mr Harrison took a prominent part in the life of his time, and his writings, though often violently controversial on political and social subjects, and in their judgment and historical perspective characterized by a modern Radical point of view, are those of an accomplished scholar, and of one whose wide knowledge of literature was combined with independence of thought and admirable vigour of style.
- There grew up a mass of controversial matter which it is amusing to read now.
- (1903) of HauckHerzog's Realencyklopadie where the following classification is adopted: (a) exegetical, (b) scholia on the Fathers, (c) dogmatic and controversial, (d) ethical and ascetic, (e) miscellaneous.
- In the midst of his scholastic and controversial activities Lanfranc became a political force.
» more...
Words near controversial in the dictionary
- controversial
- controversary
- controverse
- controverser