Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Of, producing, or marked by controversy: a controversial movie; a controversial stand on human rights.
- adj. Fond of controversy; disputatious.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Of or pertaining to controversy; characterized by or connected with disputation; disputatious: as, a controversial discourse.
Wiktionary
- adj. Arousing controversy—a debate or discussion of opposing opinions.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Relating to, or consisting of, controversy; disputatious; polemical.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. marked by or capable of arousing controversy
Etymologies
- From Latin controversia ("controversy") + -al; see controversy. (Wiktionary)
Examples
“The word controversial doesn't begin to describe this remarkably frank but profoundly disturbing book, which not only attempts to defend sex for pay, but insists it's preferable to romantic love.”
“In response the Commission's spokesman, Andy Saenz, the spokesperson for the Commission, said the commission did not want what it described as "controversial implications" about global warming included in the report.”
The Huffington Post: Christopher Brauchli: Texas Censors Science
“Whenever a news story makes mention of The Huffington Post's bloggers, the word "controversial" is often attached.”
The Huffington Post: Yashar Hedayat: In This Case, Proud to Be a "Scab"
“The first of these are what we call controversial activities.”
The Guardian: Solar panels you can install with a clear conscience
“She said some teachers take issue with the use of the word "controversial.”
“He quickly got down to promoting what he described as the controversial $938 billion package's benefits.”
“(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Victims of clergy sex abuse blasted Catholic officials in Portland today for "playing legal hardball" in what they describe as a controversial and ground-breaking clergy sex abuse and cover up case”
“But, about the only controversy surrounding the film's release here took place a couple weeks ago when Israel Railways banned a poster on their trains and depots advertising Bruno because of what it calls controversial content.”
“Steele, whose first term as chairman has been controversial, is all but certain to draw opposition for the post.”
“Mr. Steele, whose first term as chairman has been controversial, is likely to face opposition in a contest that could create a distraction for Republicans at a time when they're hoping to re-establish their ability to build consensus and lead.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘controversial’.
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1100
abound, technology, branch of knowled..., prognosticate, automaton, matron, an older married ..., realm, special field of ..., kingdom, annals, historical records and 981 more...
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GRE 2014
abate, abdicate, abase, aberrant, abeyance, abhor, abjure, abortive, abound, abrasive, abreast, abridge and 1577 more...
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PHIL - vocabulary of thinking
philosophy, Socratic, dialogue, philosopher, Athenian, philosophical, politic, Greek, method, death, ancient, believe and 243 more...
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EU Buzz - ALL words and expressions
A combined list of
1. EU Buzz - single words
2. EU Buzz - collocations
3. EU Buzz - the 100 most active
collocation constituentsabsorption capacity, absorption rate, acceding country, accession candidate, accession countries, accession country, accession criteria, accession cycle, accession negotia..., accession partner..., accession priorities, accession treaty and 2650 more...
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EN - academic vocabulary
Use these and get promoted
abandon, abandonment, abnormally, abstract, abstraction, abstractly, abstracts, academia, academic, academically, academics, academies and 3119 more...
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INTERP - speeches can be...
adequate, adroit, blunt, blurred, committed, divisive, exacerbating, fitting, hollow, lengthy, murky, pronounced and 123 more...
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EU Buzz - single words (1+2+3)
1. Strictly EU terms with special European meaning used only in the EU
+
2. Keywords central to the understanding of the EU (people working for the EU are usually able to give thematic...acceleration, action, additionality, administrator, agenda, agricultural, agri-environmental, agriflation, agri-food, applicant, approach, assent and 1325 more...
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List 2(starting at 260)
mammoth, overt, valor, aspire, relegate, bias, incisive, scurry, precipitate, singular, inveigh, repulse and 48 more...
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GRE 1100
drudgery, implore, hapless, nuance, wrest, incipient, inadvertent, tremulous, bristle, euphemism, disdain, pugnacious and 346 more...
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lunamum's list
boh!
glocalism, millenarianism, deficient, rigorous, word, way, discourse, controversial, opponent, warrant, assertion, prescription and 1 more...
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POL - opposition
Terms used for and by those in the opposition
foil a coup, spark a crisis, attack dog, controversial, guerrilla, lacklustre opposi..., protest badge, provoke a walkout, rebel movement, rebellion, roundly condemn t..., run-off and 15 more...
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1100 words you need to know
GRE words
voracious, indiscriminate, eminent, steeped, replete, abound, technology, prognosticate, automaton, matron, paradox, realm and 288 more...
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Words I Know
List of most of the words I've learned
garner, abase, abate, abdicate, abduct, aberration, abet, abhor, abide, abject, abjure, abnegation and 1046 more...
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curligirli0's Words
crapulous, swish, shiatsu, zen, xenoglossy, nincompoop, loquacious, pianissimo, onomatopoeia, imperturbable, silky, hosanas and 379 more...
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Revised GRE Wordlist_2013
Vocabulary building for my quest of GRE 2013
ephemeral, esoteric, rhetoric, censure, egregious, pittance, dupe, mulct, paucity, alacrity, maintain, laconic and 997 more...
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Basic English Vocabulary
Very basic words for ESL students.
contemplate, container, consumer, consultant, consensus, conscious, conscience, connection, confusion, confront, conflict, confident and 4334 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for controversial.
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