controversial
adjectivenounattested in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˌkɒn.tɹəˈvɜː.ʃəl//
- United Kingdom//ˌkɒn.tɹəˈvɜː.sjəl//
- United States//ˌkɑn.tɹəˈvɝ.ʃəl//
- United States/[ˌkɑn.t͡ʃɹəˈvɝ.ʃɫ̩]/
- United States//ˌkɑn.tɹəˈvɝ.sjəl//
Arousing or likely to arouse controversy.
adjective
- 1
Arousing or likely to arouse controversy.
Whole libraries of controversial books.
- 2
Engaging in or given to controversy; disputatious, argumentative.
Etymology
From Latin contrōversiālis, from contrōversia + -ālis. By surface analysis, controversy + -al.
noun
- 1
archaicSomeone or something (such as a matter or an argument) that is controversial.
No fundamental doctrine was omitted. Controversials were carefully avoided. Whether any blessing attended these attempts, will be known at the last day.
Blowing like a blast of fresh astringent air into the hot-house atmosphere of these vapid languors, came news from America of a Rational Dress Campaign. Mrs. Amelia Bloomer’s conspicuous controversials were a wonderful gift to Punch, and were welcomed with enthusiasm and joyful derision by the cartoonists […]
Napoleon’s a pastry / Get this under your brow / All those big wig controversials / Are all commercials now.
It would be interesting to know whether the leadership capacities with which the controversials are credited is a mitigating factor with respect to their risk potential.
Forms
- plural
- controversials
- comparative
- more controversial
- superlative
- most controversial
controversial · Arousing or likely to arouse controversy.
controversy · A debate or discussion of opposing opinions; (generally)…convenience · The quality of being convenient.convenient · Serving to reduce a difficulty, or accessible with minimum…