polemic

noun

po·​lem·​ic pə-ˈle-mik 

1

a

: an aggressive attack on or refutation of the opinions or principles of another

b

: the art or practice of disputation or controversy

—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction

2

: an aggressive controversialist : disputant

polemicist

pə-ˈle-mə-sist 

noun

Did you know?

Diatribe, jeremiad, philippic … the English language sure has a lot of formal words for the things we say or write when we are—to use a decidedly less formal term—big mad. We will refrain from going on a tirade about it, however, especially since it’s good to have options with subtle differences in tone and meaning. Polemic, which traces back ultimately to the Greek word for war, polemos, is the word you want to refer specifically to an aggressive attack on someone’s ideas or principles. Someone who is cheesed off because they don’t like cheese, for example, wouldn’t write a polemic about it. A turophile upset about the gustatory philosophy behind their local cheesemonger’s recent offerings just might.

Examples of polemic in a Sentence

Her book is a fierce polemic against the inequalities in our society.

They managed to discuss the issues without resorting to polemics.

Recent Examples on the Web

The festival’s other major eat-the-rich polemic is, in the grand scheme of Yorgos Lanthimos’s oeuvre, a minor work, to be sure, but still a riveting, twisty, and raucously funny one. —Radhika Seth, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2025

Films of striking social relevance that never fall to polemic or sensationalism, but instead so trustingly fulfill their characters’ plight and courage. —Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025

The book influencer who is terrified that Zohran Mamdani is going to usher in a new wave of antisemitism to New York City and the world is not going to be the target audience for Omar El Akkad’s essential polemic One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This and that’s okay. —Maris Kreizman august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025

In clear and graceful prose, remarkably free of polemic or cynicism, Mazower soberly describes how and why the politics of anti-Semitism have metastasized in such maddening ways. —Daniel May, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French polémique, from Middle French, from polemique controversial, from Greek polemikos warlike, hostile, from polemos war; perhaps akin to Greek pelemizein to shake, Old English ealfelo baleful

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for polemic

• anaemic
• endemic
• glycemic
• pandemic
• systemic
• academic
• epidemic
• epistemic
• hyperemic
• chemic
• remic
• hypovolemic

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Kids Definition

polemic

noun

po·​lem·​ic pə-ˈlem-ik 

: an aggressive attack on the opinions or beliefs of another

polemical

-ˈlem-i-kəl

adjective

also polemic

polemically

-i-k(ə-)lē

adverb