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
Democrats feel the gubernatorial race in the state could help them, as Republicans nominated a highly controversial candidate, who could turn off swing voters.
—
Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 23 Apr. 2024
Los Angeles County Museum of Art Director Michael Govan may be at the helm of an ambitious — and controversial — building project for the museum’s collection of 152,000-plus objects, but his views on what expansion means for art museums in modern times is more, well, expansive.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for controversial 
Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 23 Apr. 2024
Los Angeles County Museum of Art Director Michael Govan may be at the helm of an ambitious — and controversial — building project for the museum’s collection of 152,000-plus objects, but his views on what expansion means for art museums in modern times is more, well, expansive.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 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 3 May. 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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