Controversial: meaning, definitions and examples

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controversial

 

[ ˌkɒntrəˈvɜːʃəl ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

topic discussion

causing or likely to cause disagreement or disapproval among people

Synonyms

contentious, debated, disputed, divisive

Examples of usage

  • The new movie is controversial because of its sensitive subject matter.
  • The controversial decision sparked a debate among the members of the committee.

Translations

Translations of the word "controversial" in other languages:

🇵🇹 controverso

🇮🇳 विवादास्पद (vivādaspad)

🇩🇪 umstritten

🇮🇩 kontroversial

🇺🇦 суперечливий

🇵🇱 kontrowersyjny

🇯🇵 議論の的 (ぎろんのまと, giron no mato)

🇫🇷 controversé

🇪🇸 controvertido

🇹🇷 tartışmalı

🇰🇷 논란의 여지가 있는 (nollan-ui yeojiga inneun)

🇸🇦 مثير للجدل (muthir lil-jadal)

🇨🇿 kontroverzní

🇸🇰 kontroverzný

🇨🇳 有争议的 (yǒu zhēngyì de)

🇸🇮 sporen

🇮🇸 umdeildur

🇰🇿 даулы (dauly)

🇬🇪 საკამათო (sakamato)

🇦🇿 mübahisəli

🇲🇽 controvertido

Etymology

The word 'controversial' originated from the Latin word 'controversialis', which means 'pertaining to a dispute or controversy'. The term has been used in English since the 17th century to describe something that causes disagreement or disapproval. Over the years, 'controversial' has become a commonly used adjective to characterize topics, decisions, or actions that elicit strong opposing opinions.

See also: controversially.

Word Frequency Rank

At #6,095 in frequency, this word belongs to advanced vocabulary. It's less common than core vocabulary but important for sophisticated expression.