controversial
adjective
con·tro·ver·sial
ˌkän-trə-ˈvər-shəl 
-ˈvər-sē-əl
1
: of, relating to, or arousing controversy
a controversial policy
a controversial film
2
: given to controversy : disputatious
a controversial temperament
The controversial biologist caused a ferment among his colleagues.
controversially
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of controversial in a Sentence
Abortion is a highly controversial subject.
a decision that remains controversial
He is a controversial author.
Recent Examples on the Web
Democrats feel the gubernatorial race in the state could help them, as Republicans nominated a highly controversial candidate, who could turn off swing voters.
—
Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 23 Apr. 2024
Los Angeles County Museum of Art Director Michael Govan may be at the helm of an ambitious — and controversial — building project for the museum’s collection of 152,000-plus objects, but his views on what expansion means for art museums in modern times is more, well, expansive.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
The most controversial of those is Manouchehri's advice not to brush right after vomiting.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
The military occupation, which lasted 19 years, marked the start of more than a century of close and controversial U.S. entanglement in the volatile internal affairs of Haiti.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2024
Democrats are convinced much of the electorate isn't aware of Kennedy's controversial positions and theories or that he's boosted financially by a Trump Super PAC's largest donor.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
Does a thank you in the credits to a controversial journalist whose right-wing writing undoubtedly informed Garland’s thinking while making Civil War suggest the film is aligned with TERFism?
—Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
What to know about Brandy Melville's controversial CEO, Stephan Marsan
Little is known about Marsan, who keeps a basically nonexistent profile online.
—Cady Lang, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
In one of the most anticipated and controversial rulings in American history, Simpson was acquitted of the double murder charges, famously prompting a stunned look on Kardashian’s face when the judge announced the verdict.
—Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2024
Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 23 Apr. 2024
Los Angeles County Museum of Art Director Michael Govan may be at the helm of an ambitious — and controversial — building project for the museum’s collection of 152,000-plus objects, but his views on what expansion means for art museums in modern times is more, well, expansive.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
The most controversial of those is Manouchehri's advice not to brush right after vomiting.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
The military occupation, which lasted 19 years, marked the start of more than a century of close and controversial U.S. entanglement in the volatile internal affairs of Haiti.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2024
Democrats are convinced much of the electorate isn't aware of Kennedy's controversial positions and theories or that he's boosted financially by a Trump Super PAC's largest donor.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
Does a thank you in the credits to a controversial journalist whose right-wing writing undoubtedly informed Garland’s thinking while making Civil War suggest the film is aligned with TERFism?
—Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
What to know about Brandy Melville's controversial CEO, Stephan Marsan
Little is known about Marsan, who keeps a basically nonexistent profile online.
—Cady Lang, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
In one of the most anticipated and controversial rulings in American history, Simpson was acquitted of the double murder charges, famously prompting a stunned look on Kardashian’s face when the judge announced the verdict.
—Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'controversial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Controversial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/controversial. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
controversial
adjective
con·tro·ver·sial
ˌkän-trə-ˈvər-shəl
-ˈvər-sē-əl
: relating to or causing controversy
a controversial movie
controversially
adverb
-ē
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