controvertible

adjective

Definition of controvertiblenext
as in questionable
open to question or dispute a controvertible decision to permit smoking in certain public spaces around town

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for controvertible
  1. questionable
  2. disputable
  3. debatable
Adjective
  • There have also been controversial VAR calls, like the questionable foul that led to an Egyptian goal against Argentina being annulled.
    — Jasmine Garsd, NPR, 20 July 2026
  • Paying the price of a luxury car for a giant silicone doll that needs to be recharged every two to four hours seems like a questionable choice.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 19 July 2026
Definition of questionable
Adjective
  • However, disputable refereeing decisions, especially in the matches against Italy and Spain, led to allegations that South Korea may have benefited from favorable officiating.
    — Andrew Pereira, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 June 2026
  • Speech — Intimidation as censorship The First Amendment protects disputable speech, not agreeable.
    — Brielle Miller, Baltimore Sun, 9 Mar. 2026
Definition of disputable
Adjective
  • For now, the Purdy-Jones fit could be the NFL’s best quarterback pairing, debatable with Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Joe Flacco.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 16 July 2026
  • Some decisions have been debatable, England rarely looked fluent, but Tuchel is a good manager, has embraced the unique challenges of the England job, and there will arguably be no better coach available to lead the team into Euro 2028.
    — The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of debatable
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

controverted
controvertible
controverting
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Controvertible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/controvertible. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of aerie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All