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
Customer interest surged after a (controversial) quantum supremacy claim and Jülich sale.
—
Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Newsrooms fracture over publishing controversial views.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
Comments Gwyneth Paltrow has a few choice words for those still criticizing her controversial candle.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 19 May 2025
Anno 117 doesn't seem to reinvent the experience compared to 1800, but after the controversial attempts that preceded both of these titles, that may not be a bad thing.
—ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for controversial
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Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Newsrooms fracture over publishing controversial views.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
Comments Gwyneth Paltrow has a few choice words for those still criticizing her controversial candle.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 19 May 2025
Anno 117 doesn't seem to reinvent the experience compared to 1800, but after the controversial attempts that preceded both of these titles, that may not be a bad thing.
—ArsTechnica, 19 May 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 23 May. 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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