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
The court found Kim guilty of accepting bribes from the controversial religious sect Unification Church, including a Chanel bag and a Graff diamond necklace.
—
Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 28 Jan. 2026
Trump, too, downplayed his decision to deploy border czar Tom Homan, who himself is controversial after in 2024 alleging accepting $50,000 in cash from FBI agents pretending to be business executives seeking government, to Minneapolis.
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 28 Jan. 2026
Noem and Gregory Bovino, his controversial Border Patrol Commander, previously led those efforts.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 28 Jan. 2026
Including biomarkers is perhaps the most controversial possible change.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for controversial
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Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 28 Jan. 2026
Trump, too, downplayed his decision to deploy border czar Tom Homan, who himself is controversial after in 2024 alleging accepting $50,000 in cash from FBI agents pretending to be business executives seeking government, to Minneapolis.
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 28 Jan. 2026
Noem and Gregory Bovino, his controversial Border Patrol Commander, previously led those efforts.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 28 Jan. 2026
Including biomarkers is perhaps the most controversial possible change.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 28 Jan. 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 1 Feb. 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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