controversial

noun

(now rare) Someone or something (such as a matter or an argument) that is controversial.

adjective

Arousing or likely to arouse controversy.

Engaging in or given to controversy; disputatious, argumentative.

Roots

contracontro- · Latin · against, opposite verto-vers · Latin · turn

Synonyms for controversial

contentiousadj controvertibleadj polemicaladj debatableadj disputableadj disputatiousadj polemicadj arguableadj contestableadj eristicn argumentativeadj

Synonyms & related words for controversial

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of controversial — including contentious, controvertible, polemical, debatable, disputable, disputatious. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to controversial

Explore words related to controversial — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include controversially, uncontentious, noncontroversial, controversies, polemically, disputed, contentiously, debated. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for controversial

Common synonyms for controversial include contentious, controvertible, polemical, debatable, disputable, disputatious, polemic, arguable — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does controversial come from?

The word controversial breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: contro-, from Latin contra (“against, opposite”); and -vers, from Latin verto (“turn”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.