controversial

play

adjective con·tro·ver·sial \ ˌkän-trə-ˈvər-shəl , -ˈvər-sē-əl \

Definition of controversial

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.

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controversialism

play \ˌkän-trə-ˈvər-shə-ˌli-zəm, -sē-ə-ˌli-\ noun

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controversialist

play \ˌkän-trə-ˈvər-shə-list, -sē-ə-list\ noun

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controversially

adverb

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Examples of controversial in a Sentence

Abortion is a highly controversial subject.
a decision that remains controversial
He is a controversial author.

Recent Examples of controversial from the Web

One-hundred and fifty years later, our nation still feels the weight of perhaps the most controversial aspect of its history, and understandably so.

— brookyln brown, Teen Vogue, "Confederate Flags in Dorm Rooms: What Students Think," 30 Aug. 2017
Perhaps equally controversial are the Elgin Marbles, statues carved 2,500 years ago and taken from the Parthenon in Athens by British Lord Elgin in the early 1800s.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "The True Story of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond—And Why the British Won’t Give It Back," 30 Aug. 2017
Here are five proposals that are more controversial but generating buzz. 1.

— julie rovner, Kaiser Health News, "5 Outside-The-Box Ideas For Fixing The Individual Insurance Market," 30 Aug. 2017
But how American children learn the history of non-white groups is still controversial, and led to a recent federal court battle in Arizona.

— matt ford, The Atlantic, "What Trump's Generation Learned About the Civil War," 28 Aug. 2017
In recent decades, presidents have tended to issue controversial pardons at the end of their terms, not the beginning.

— abby phillip, Washington Post, "Trump pardons former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio," 25 Aug. 2017
If the ballot initiative is a war in Ohio, the general for the pro-side – known as Ohio Taxpayers for Lower Drug Prices – is Michael Weinstein, the polarizing and controversial president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

— seth a. richardson, Cincinnati.com, "Who is the controversial man behind Ohio's drug price ballot initiative, Issue 2?," 24 Aug. 2017
There are wrinkles in the way Qualcomm gets paid for its intellectual property that have been controversial.

— mike freeman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Clash of 2 tech titans: What Apple and Qualcomm are really fighting about," 20 Aug. 2017
Last February, a controversial sign using the Hindenburg name was erected, welcoming park-goers.

— andy nguyen, Glendale News-Press, "After a year of controversy, a new sign tells the full history of Crescenta Valley Park," 18 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'controversial.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.