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
Synonyms
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
In Minnesota's race for Senate, Republicans might go for a more controversial choice as the party's nominee, potentially curtailing their already-meager chances of defeating Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
—
Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2024
Bacon has been sharing his controversial takes on social media since being dumped from the island, revealing that he was given an edit that didn’t reflect his real personality.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2024
There was viral fan backlash to the controversial series finale that saw fan favorites like Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys die, while other beloved characters such as Harington’s Jon Snow were met with lackluster fates.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024
The Clintons obviously became a somewhat controversial brand, especially on the right.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for controversial 
Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2024
Bacon has been sharing his controversial takes on social media since being dumped from the island, revealing that he was given an edit that didn’t reflect his real personality.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2024
There was viral fan backlash to the controversial series finale that saw fan favorites like Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys die, while other beloved characters such as Harington’s Jon Snow were met with lackluster fates.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024
The Clintons obviously became a somewhat controversial brand, especially on the right.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for controversial
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'controversial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Controversial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/controversial. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
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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