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
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
Republican voters demonstrated their willingness to embrace ultra-conservative candidates by bringing Attorney General Ken Paxton close to victory in the Senate primary despite his scandals and controversial history, suggesting the rightward trajectory of the GOP continues[1].
—
Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The once-controversial Y2K staple has re-entered the chat with a more refined energy, thanks in part to style risk-takers like Emily Ratajkowski, Kylie Jenner, and Olivia Munn, who’ve helped usher the silhouette into its next era.
—Amanda Le, InStyle, 4 Mar. 2026
The government has said its battle with Anthropic, and the controversial award of a new contract to OpenAI last week, was partly about addressing single vendor concentration.
—Barbara Booth, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026
The United States is now engaged in an active and controversial military war with Iran which, according to multiple national polls, 6 out of 10 Americans oppose.
—Rick Pozniak, Boston Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for controversial
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Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The once-controversial Y2K staple has re-entered the chat with a more refined energy, thanks in part to style risk-takers like Emily Ratajkowski, Kylie Jenner, and Olivia Munn, who’ve helped usher the silhouette into its next era.
—Amanda Le, InStyle, 4 Mar. 2026
The government has said its battle with Anthropic, and the controversial award of a new contract to OpenAI last week, was partly about addressing single vendor concentration.
—Barbara Booth, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026
The United States is now engaged in an active and controversial military war with Iran which, according to multiple national polls, 6 out of 10 Americans oppose.
—Rick Pozniak, Boston Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for controversial
Cite this Entry
“Controversial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/controversial. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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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