Word of the Day

: December 1, 2009

disputatious

adjective dis-pyuh-TAY-shus

What It Means

1 : inclined to dispute b: marked by disputation

2 : provoking debate : controversial

disputatious in Context

The radio host's disputatious opinions and discussions have drawn legions of listeners, and now he is moving his show to network television.

Did You Know?

"Disputatious" can be used of both people and things. Disputatious people like to provoke arguments or find something to disagree about. In the "things" category, the word can apply to both situations and issues. For example, court trials are disputatious; that is, they are marked by disputation, or verbal controversy. An issue or matter is disputatious if it provokes controversy. However, if a matter, such as an assertion made by someone, is open to question rather than downright controversial, it's merely "disputable." In any case, there's no arguing that both "disputatious" and its synonym "disputative" have changed their connotation somewhat from their Latin source, the verb "disputare." That word means simply "to discuss."