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 quota, however, is linked to a controversial separate bill to change voting boundaries, a process that could increase the number of seats in the lower house from 543 to about 850.
—
ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Palo Alto is calling a series of suicides in the city a public health crisis, and the city council debated a controversial way to save lives Wednesday night.
—Andrea Nakano, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
The controversial measure would permit civil lawsuits against federal officials if citizens believed that their civil rights had been violated.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 15 Apr. 2026
Flock has become increasingly controversial, with communities across the country persuading their local governments to cancel their contracts, though the number is still dwarfed by how many cities renew their agreements with Flock every year.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for controversial
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ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Palo Alto is calling a series of suicides in the city a public health crisis, and the city council debated a controversial way to save lives Wednesday night.
—Andrea Nakano, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
The controversial measure would permit civil lawsuits against federal officials if citizens believed that their civil rights had been violated.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 15 Apr. 2026
Flock has become increasingly controversial, with communities across the country persuading their local governments to cancel their contracts, though the number is still dwarfed by how many cities renew their agreements with Flock every year.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 15 Apr. 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 22 Apr. 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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