polemical

adjective

po·​lem·​i·​cal pə-ˈle-mi-kəl How to pronounce polemical (audio)
variants or less commonly polemic
1
: of, relating to, or being a polemic : controversial
2
: engaged in or addicted to polemics : disputatious
polemically adverb

Examples of polemical in a Sentence

during the Middle Ages even theologians could be surprisingly polemical in their writings an unnecessarily polemical look at the supposed incompatibility between science and religion
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The book’s polemical side, forged in the raging heat of appalling violence, is, understandably, more disoriented. Fintan O’Toole, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025 Since Kendrick’s decision to headline the halftime show at Super Bowl LIX, the meaning of his politics has only become more slippery, just as his artistic output has become less polemical. Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2025 Some of the more polemical responses to my survey framed podcasting’s pivot to video as a by-product of major tech platforms, specifically Spotify and YouTube, cynically redefining the concept of a podcast to further fuel their attacks on one another. Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2024 When pluralism implies of ideas, of ideologies, of parties, sometimes inimical to each other, sometimes polemical, sometimes in the attempt to make compromises in order to rule a country. Foreign Affairs, 2 Nov. 2016 See All Example Sentences for polemical

Word History

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of polemical was in 1615

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Cite this Entry

“Polemical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polemical. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.

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