contentious

adjective

con·​ten·​tious kən-ˈten(t)-shəs How to pronounce contentious (audio)
1
: likely to cause disagreement or argument
a contentious issue
2
: exhibiting an often perverse and wearisome tendency to quarrels and disputes
a man of a most contentious nature
contentiously adverb
contentiousness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for contentious

belligerent, bellicose, pugnacious, quarrelsome, contentious mean having an aggressive or fighting attitude.

belligerent often implies being actually at war or engaged in hostilities.

belligerent nations

bellicose suggests a disposition to fight.

a drunk in a bellicose mood

pugnacious suggests a disposition that takes pleasure in personal combat.

a pugnacious gangster

quarrelsome stresses an ill-natured readiness to fight without good cause.

the heat made us all quarrelsome

contentious implies perverse and irritating fondness for arguing and quarreling.

wearied by his contentious disposition

Examples of contentious in a Sentence

In the perpetual skirmish between science and religion, biological evolution is a contentious battle ground. Barry A. Palevitz, Skeptical Inquirer, July/August 1999
Creator Jim Davis had spent two years fine-tuning the contentious relationship between the grouchy cat, his milquetoast owner, Jon (Davis' pen-and-ink alter ego), and befuddled dog Odie—in a strip he'd thought would be called Jon. Beth Johnson, Entertainment Weekly, 19 June 1998
Historians, admittedly a contentious lot, have failed even to agree on what to call King Philip's War. Jill Lepore, The Name of War, 1998
My mental attitude when drinking is both contentious and malicious, and while in this mood and state I was the author of statements which I know to be wholly unfounded. Theodore Dreiser, The Titan, 1914
After a contentious debate, members of the committee finally voted to approve the funding. The dispute involves one of the region's most contentious leaders.
Recent Examples on the Web The outcome ends a nearly year-long contentious debate that started last summer with councilmembers and residents heavily divided on the issue. Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 Reflecting on one of UW's most contentious and extended budget sessions in recent memory, Mnookin said the end result − with bipartisan and near unanimous support for the project − was noteworthy. Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2024 The fight to protect reproductive rights is at the forefront during what is shaping to be a contentious presidential election year. Audrey Noble, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2024 The current versions of the Basic and Area Standards Agreements were ratified in November 2021 by a thin margin after a contentious negotiation period that nearly resulted in a strike. Katcy Stephan, Variety, 3 Mar. 2024 Physical heritage sites are infamously contentious—consider Afghanistan’s Bamiyan Buddhas, or the Old City of Jerusalem—and their very singularity leaves them susceptible to zero-sum conflicts. Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2024 Carol Daus, who has lived in the city nearly three decades, said the council’s focus on contentious cultural debates has divided the community, pitting neighbors against neighbors. Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2024 Imports of iPhones have long been a contentious point – government statistics suggest that about a third of Iran’s entire $4.4 billion mobile phone import market consisted of iPhones before the ban. Nasser Karimi, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Feb. 2024 Or, the critics say, the platforms could ban discussion of anything remotely political by barring posts about many contentious issues. David McCabe, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contentious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English contenciose "quarrelsome," borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French contencieux "subject to disagreement," borrowed from Latin contentiōsus "persistent, obstinate, argumentative, quarrelsome," from contentiō "exertion, competition, contention" + -ōsus -ous

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of contentious was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Contentious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contentious. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

contentious

adjective
con·​ten·​tious kən-ˈten-chəs How to pronounce contentious (audio)
: inclined to argue
contentiousness noun

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