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
This week, the Canterbury Players performed one of Behn’s most controversial plays, The Amorous Prince, or, The Curious Husband, which had not been staged since 1671.
—
Elizabeth Djinis, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 July 2024
Orban was the first EU leader to visit Moscow since April 2022 and his trip was made even more controversial by the fact that Hungary has just taken over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.
—Radina Gigova, CNN, 5 July 2024
With the controversial absence of its king, Joey Chestnut, the competitive eating world turned its eyes Thursday to Coney Island, where an open field of competitors aimed to usurp the crown at Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest.
—Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2024
Yet the China Initiative was highly controversial, as academics, universities, and advocacy groups accused the program of racial profiling and bias against researchers of Chinese descent.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune Asia, 4 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for controversial 
Elizabeth Djinis, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 July 2024
Orban was the first EU leader to visit Moscow since April 2022 and his trip was made even more controversial by the fact that Hungary has just taken over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.
—Radina Gigova, CNN, 5 July 2024
With the controversial absence of its king, Joey Chestnut, the competitive eating world turned its eyes Thursday to Coney Island, where an open field of competitors aimed to usurp the crown at Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest.
—Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2024
Yet the China Initiative was highly controversial, as academics, universities, and advocacy groups accused the program of racial profiling and bias against researchers of Chinese descent.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune Asia, 4 July 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 15 Jul. 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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