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
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
The outcome could be a litmus test for Trump's influence and the role of Musk's controversial Department of Government Efficiency.
—
Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
Trump administration cuts public health jobs, funding HHS, led by controversial Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., plans to go from about 82,000 to 62,000 full-time employees, the department said in a statement last week.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2025
Several of the cases were brought by Buzbee, a controversial lawyer from Houston.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2025
President Trump's controversial choice to be the top federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., Ed Martin, faces an uncertain future, as a Senate Democrat plans to put an indefinite hold on his nomination.
—Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for controversial
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Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
Trump administration cuts public health jobs, funding HHS, led by controversial Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., plans to go from about 82,000 to 62,000 full-time employees, the department said in a statement last week.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2025
Several of the cases were brought by Buzbee, a controversial lawyer from Houston.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2025
President Trump's controversial choice to be the top federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., Ed Martin, faces an uncertain future, as a Senate Democrat plans to put an indefinite hold on his nomination.
—Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for controversial
Cite this Entry
“Controversial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/controversial. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
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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