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 controversial mogul recently filed to serve his jail time in a New Jersey facility for a few specific reasons.
—
Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 7 Oct. 2025
That particular topic is probably the most controversial topic in the world, but there's still a lot of editorial safeguards in place where people can discuss things.
—ArsTechnica, 7 Oct. 2025
The tide turned in a controversial way on the next Jacksonville drive.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
And while representation for Black women doctors on HBO’s hit The Pitt is impressive, even with the controversial departure of Tracy Ifeachor, there are no Black male doctors on the show.
—Essence, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for controversial
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Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 7 Oct. 2025
That particular topic is probably the most controversial topic in the world, but there's still a lot of editorial safeguards in place where people can discuss things.
—ArsTechnica, 7 Oct. 2025
The tide turned in a controversial way on the next Jacksonville drive.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
And while representation for Black women doctors on HBO’s hit The Pitt is impressive, even with the controversial departure of Tracy Ifeachor, there are no Black male doctors on the show.
—Essence, 7 Oct. 2025
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 Oct. 2025.
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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