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
In Los Angeles, past demonstrations have drawn hundreds of thousands of people who voiced their support for immigrant workers amid controversial enforcement policies.
—
Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
Pay raises for 42,000 employees The budget will also fund controversial pay raises for state employees.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 2 May 2026
Under the blue skies of the Florida Everglades, dozens of protesters, sheltering from the sun under blue canopies, gathered outside the gates of Alligator Alcatraz on Friday to commemorate International Labor Day by calling for the shutdown of the controversial detention center.
—Churchill Ndonwie
may 2, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
Her adolescence coincided with a period of severe economic and political crisis in Peru, as the government grappled with hyperinflation, institutional instability, and an internal conflict with insurgent groups such as the Shining Path, alongside controversial counterinsurgency measures.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for controversial
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Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
Pay raises for 42,000 employees The budget will also fund controversial pay raises for state employees.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 2 May 2026
Under the blue skies of the Florida Everglades, dozens of protesters, sheltering from the sun under blue canopies, gathered outside the gates of Alligator Alcatraz on Friday to commemorate International Labor Day by calling for the shutdown of the controversial detention center.
—Churchill Ndonwie
may 2, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
Her adolescence coincided with a period of severe economic and political crisis in Peru, as the government grappled with hyperinflation, institutional instability, and an internal conflict with insurgent groups such as the Shining Path, alongside controversial counterinsurgency measures.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for controversial
Cite this Entry
“Controversial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/controversial. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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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